By Robert Wall
LONDON--The U.K. Ministry of Defence on Friday said it had
accelerated a helicopter surveillance program to avoid a looming
capability gap and that Thales SA (HO.FR) would provide the
critical radar for the system intended to help protect the Royal
Navy's future Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.
The U.K. plans to retire in 2018 the Sea King Mk7 helicopters,
which currently are used for long-range air monitoring. That task
is being shifted to the newer Merlin Mk2 based on AgustaWestland's
EH101 chopper under the so-called Crowsnest project. "We have
accelerated our program delivery strategy in order to sustain the
capability seamlessly," Air Vice-Marshal Julian Young, the
ministry's director of helicopters, said in a statement.
The system to detect threats to the Queen Elizabeth aircraft
carriers, which are due to begin operational use at the end of the
decade, has been accelerated 18 months to enter service in 2018, a
defense ministry spokeswoman said.
The ministry said it and Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), the
company overall in charge of Crowsnest, picked Thales to provide
the radar sensor and mission system. Lockheed Martin had a
competing offer.
"Crowsnest will be the 'eyes and ears' of the fleet, designed to
provide early detection of potential air and surface threats and
provide military commanders time to take essential and often
pivotal decisions," Philip Dunne, the U.K.'s Minister of State for
Defence Procurement said.
Contract terms with Thales are still being finalized, the
ministry spokeswoman said. The program for 10 systems is expected
to have a value of around 500 million pounds ($780 million). Thales
already provided the surveillance radar on the current Sea King
helicopters.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com
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