Hensoldt UK to build radar tech for Britain’s new naval supply ships

MILAN — The British subsidiary of German sensor maker Hensoldt will equip three of the Royal Navy’s new military logistics ships with surveillance radar technologies featuring advanced friend-or-foe identification capabilities, the company announced May 2.

London-based Hensoldt UK received a contract from the ship program’s lead contractor , Navantia UK, to incorporate various systems aboard the new Fleet Solid Support ships, part of the country’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The contract value was not disclosed.

The systems will include the Quadome Naval 3D air and surface radar, advertised as being capable of detecting small-sized threats, as well as air traffic management systems and Kelvin Hughes Integrated Navigation Bridge Systems (INBS).

Also part of the package is an antenna for classifying nearby objects as friendly or not, a key capability for crowded theaters like the Red Sea, where an international coalition of warships works to protect maritime traffic against attacks from Yemen-based and Iran-backed Houthi militias.

While the Royal Navy has previously sent two vessels to the Red Sea, then-Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey in January floated the idea that the country could deploy an aircraft carrier to the area if threats to cargo traffic persist.

The FSS ships that Hensoldt will equip will be a key part of the replenishment processes of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

The INBS deliverables include navigation radars and multifunction displays. According to a company press release, all of the related components will be designed and built from Hensoldt’s UK headquarters.

As an outcome of the FSS contract, Hensoldt said it will invest over $1.2 million into its existing Enfield, North London, factory and testing facilities to create what it envisions to be a “new European support hub for Quadome radars.”

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——德国传感器制造商亨索尔特的英国子公司于5月2日宣布，将为英国皇家海军的三艘新型军事后勤舰艇配备具有先进敌我识别能力的监视雷达技术。

总部位于伦敦的亨索尔特英国公司（Hensoldt UK）从该舰艇项目的主承包商纳凡蒂亚英国公司（Navantia UK）获得一份合同，负责为英国皇家舰队辅助队（Royal Fleet Auxiliary）的新型舰队固体支援舰（Fleet Solid Support）安装各种系统。合同金额未予披露。

这些系统将包括 Quadome 海军 3D 空天雷达（据称能够探测小型威胁），以及空中交通管理系统和 Kelvin Hughes 综合导航桥系统 (INBS)。

该组件还包括一个天线，用于将附近的物体分类为友方或敌方，这对于像红海这样拥挤的海域来说是一项关键能力，在那里，国际军舰联盟致力于保护海上交通免受也门境内和伊朗支持的胡塞武装的袭击。

虽然英国皇家海军此前曾向红海派遣过两艘舰艇，但时任武装部队国务大臣詹姆斯·希皮在1月份提出，如果货运交通持续受到威胁，英国可能会向该地区部署一艘航空母舰。

亨索尔特将为FSS舰艇配备装备，这些舰艇将成为英国皇家海军伊丽莎白女王级航空母舰补给过程的关键组成部分。

INBS项目交付的产品包括导航雷达和多功能显示器。根据公司新闻稿，所有相关组件都将由亨索尔特公司位于英国的总部设计和制造。

作为 FSS 合同的成果，亨索尔特表示，将投资超过 120 万美元用于其位于北伦敦恩菲尔德的现有工厂和测试设施，以打造其设想中的“四穹顶雷达新的欧洲支持中心”。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。