Defense Industry Daily Logo

This article is included in these additional categories:

Britain/U.K. | Contracts - Awards | ECM | Industry & Trends | Other Corporation | Procurement Innovations | Protective Systems - Naval | Sensors - Aquatic | Sensors & Guidance | Submarines | Support & Maintenance | Support Functions - Other | Surface Ships - Combat | Surface Ships - Other | Thales

SSOP: Britain Extends Contracting Innovations to Naval Sensors

UH-60L Blackhawk helicopte
For more on this and other stories, please consider purchasing a membership.
If you are already a subscriber, login to your account.
HMS Astute & Type 45(click to view full) In late May 2013, Thales UK signed a 10-year, GBP 600 million Sensor Support Optimisation Project (SSOP) with the Ministry of Defence. It extends the 2003 Contractor Logistics Support deal that covered electronic warfare/ ESM and sonar system support on an array of submarines and surface ships. SSOP coverage includes all British submarine classes (SSN Trafalgar and Astute classes, SSBN Vanguard Class), Type 45 Daring Class destroyers, Type 23 Duke Class frigates, and the Hunt and Sandown Classes of minehunting vessels. It also covers all visual systems (periscopes etc.) for all Royal Navy submarines, which had been a separate contract with Thales UK’s optronics business in Glasgow. This progression is familiar to readers who have followed British Future Contracting for Availability practices over the last several years. Type 23 frigate(click to view full) SSOP builds on demonstrated savings and availability improvements from the 2003 CLS contract, and is absorbing related contracts over time as risks and costs are clarified and reduced. The UK MoD is expecting savings of GBP 140 million over the life of the new contract. SSOP will be run through the joint Thales/MoD Equipment Support Delivery Team in Abbey […]
HMS Astute [S119] & HMS Dauntless [D33]

HMS Astute & Type 45
(click to view full)

In late May 2013, Thales UK signed a 10-year, GBP 600 million Sensor Support Optimisation Project (SSOP) with the Ministry of Defence. It extends the 2003 Contractor Logistics Support deal that covered electronic warfare/ ESM and sonar system support on an array of submarines and surface ships.

SSOP coverage includes all British submarine classes (SSN Trafalgar and Astute classes, SSBN Vanguard Class), Type 45 Daring Class destroyers, Type 23 Duke Class frigates, and the Hunt and Sandown Classes of minehunting vessels. It also covers all visual systems (periscopes etc.) for all Royal Navy submarines, which had been a separate contract with Thales UK’s optronics business in Glasgow. This progression is familiar to readers who have followed British Future Contracting for Availability practices over the last several years.

Type 23: HMS Sutherland

Type 23 frigate
(click to view full)

SSOP builds on demonstrated savings and availability improvements from the 2003 CLS contract, and is absorbing related contracts over time as risks and costs are clarified and reduced. The UK MoD is expecting savings of GBP 140 million over the life of the new contract.

SSOP will be run through the joint Thales/MoD Equipment Support Delivery Team in Abbey Wood, Bristol, augmented by Thales and J+S Ltd waterfront engineers co-located in the Royal Navy’s 3 naval bases at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Faslane. Thales UK will support the project from its sites in Templecombe, Cheadle Heath, Glasgow and its development center in Crawley. Beyond J+S, major SSOP sub-contractors include:

* Atlas Elektronik UK in Newport, South Wales and Winfrith, Dorset
* The Defence Support Group in Sealand, Flintshire
* MacTaggart Scott in Loanhead, Scotland
* Parkburn Ltd in Telford, Shropshire
* AB Precision (Poole) Ltd in Dorset

SSOP support work will secure about 230 jobs directly, with another 300 estimated throughout the supply and service chain. UK MoD | Thales Group | DID on Future Contracting for Availability.

One Source: Hundreds of programs; Thousands of links, photos, and analyses

DII brings a complete collection of articles with original reporting and research, and expert analyses of events to your desktop – no need for multiple modules, or complex subscriptions. All supporting documents, links, & appendices accompany each article.

Benefits

  • Save time
  • Eliminate your blind spots
  • Get the big picture, quickly
  • Keep up with the important facts
  • Stay on top of your projects or your competitors

Features

  • Coverage of procurement and doctrine issues
  • Timeline of past and future program events
  • Comprehensive links to other useful resources
Subscription Options

Monthly

$59.95/Per Month
  • Charged Monthly
  • 1 User
Sign Up

Quarterly

$50/Per Month
  • $150 Charged Each Quarter
  • 1 User
Sign up

Yearly

$45/Per Month
  • $540 charged each year
  • 1 User
Sign Up

2 years

$35/Per Month
  • $840 Charged every other year
  • 1 User
Sign Up