SEA wins radar transducer contract
SEA has been awarded a £2 million, five-year contract by Ultra Electronics to supply transducers as part of the Sonar 2050 Technology Refresh programme (S2050TR) for the British Royal Navy, it announced in September.
The contract will cover the duration of the Type 23 Duke class frigate programme. The contract includes eight ship sets to support the replacement of the Sonar 2050 systems on the UK ROyal Navy’s current Type 23 frigates.
SEA will upgrade its Tonpilz Transducer design to produce a new unit that will meet Ultra’s requirements to fit its Digital Array Module design. The upgrade will enhance the frigate’s hull-mounted sonar capability for persistent surveillance against torpedo and submarine threats.
The contract is part of the mid-life update of the frigates, which were built between 1985 and 2002. In early 2016, Thales was awarded a £19 million contract to perform the mid-life update to the external communications voice distribution and management of the Type 23 frigate fleet.
The UK operates 13 Type 23 Duke Class frigates. Initially designed for anti-submarine warfare, the frigates are currently also used for anti-surface warfare with their Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile and Seawolf point missile defence system.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
-
![Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny]()
Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny
Governments worldwide are scrambling to decouple defence supply chains from dependency upon strategic rivals, but countries could struggle to do it all themselves.
-
![How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces]()
How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces
Saab has outlined how it is using artificial intelligence to make training more like electronic gaming, while the UK’s Power Size Technologies is applying the same technology to better evaluate and design vehicle capability, moving AI-enabled innovation further upstream from the frontline.
-
![From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)]()
From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)
Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at Rheinmetall, explains how Eurosatory 2026 marked a new stage in the company's evolution.
-
![US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system]()
US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system
The US Department of Defense has requested new contracting authorities from Congress, using the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne programme to demonstrate how competition, digital engineering and closer industry collaboration could accelerate acquisitions.
