BAE Systems selected for Sting Ray torpedo upgrade work
Sting Ray torpedoes can be ship or air-launched. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
The Sting Ray can be deployed from frigates, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft against submarine targets of all types. It uses an acoustic homing system and navigation system to detect, classify and attack targets autonomously.
BAE Systems will conduct the assessment phase of the Sting Ray Mid Life Upgrade (SRMLU) programme. The upgrade will see the lightweight torpedo go from Mod 1 to Mod 2 under a £60.1 million (US$78.9 million) contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support entity.
Sting Ray is currently in-service with the Royal Navy and has been designed to counter fast, deep-diving submarines, as well as quiet, conventional submarines operating in coastal waters. The Sting Ray Mod 1 has been in service since 2001, developed from its predecessor Mod 0 torpedo which entered service in 1983.
The four-year assessment phase covers the design and development of the Mod 2 upgrade, build of prototype weapons and the conducting of an in-water trial. The upgrade will improve its performance against emerging threats.
In November 2023, the RAF announced that it had chosen the Sting Ray for its future torpedo capability, alongside continued use of the US Navy’s Mk54 weapon on its Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
The UK Royal Air Force operates nine P-8 Poseidon aircraft, designated MRA-1 in UK service, with the last delivered in 2022.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US Navy $76.6bn award provides stability for submarine production]()
US Navy $76.6bn award provides stability for submarine production
The US Department of War’s US$76.6 billion Columbia-and Virginia-class submarine contract gives industry demand certainty as Washington seeks to rebuild its shipbuilding base.
-
![Dreadnought Phase 4 opens £2.5 billion supply chain opportunity]()
Dreadnought Phase 4 opens £2.5 billion supply chain opportunity
The UK government’s £8.4 billion Dreadnought Phase 4 investment sets aside £2.5 billion for the wider submarine supply chain, opening new work beyond BAE Systems’ prime contract.
-
![US Navy begins SPY-6(V)4 radar testing ahead of first Arleigh Burke destroyer backfit]()
US Navy begins SPY-6(V)4 radar testing ahead of first Arleigh Burke destroyer backfit
Wallops Island trials will validate the next-generation radar's combat system integration before its installation aboard USS Pinckney, the first Flight IIA destroyer to receive the SPY-6(V)4 upgrade.
-
![Hanwha Ocean deepens US ties and eyes Saudi submarine prospect after Canada setback]()
Hanwha Ocean deepens US ties and eyes Saudi submarine prospect after Canada setback
Hanwha Ocean is deepening ties with the US and eyeing a submarine opportunity in Saudi Arabia, as South Korea looks to convert its Canadian defeat into export momentum.
