Testing begins for Royal Navy鈥檚 next generation electronic warfare system
Final tests and upgrades are being carried out on the first of the Royal Navy鈥檚 MEWSIC electronic warfare (EW) systems.
HMS Prince of Wales at sea. MOD Crown Copyright.
The Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability, known as MEWSIC Increment 1, will be installed on current and future warships, including the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, Type 45 destroyers and the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates currently in build.
Procured by DE&S, MEWSIC will enhance defensive capabilities by replacing the Navy鈥檚 existing EW system - the cornerstone of keeping threats at bay - including anti-ship missiles.
The first production model of MEWSIC has been set to work at an Elbit Systems UK facility, while the first build of an updated Combat Management Software System has been delivered to Portsdown Technology Park in Hampshire to support ongoing development.
Dr Allan Paterson, DE&S鈥� Maritime Electronic Warfare Team Leader, said:
The Royal Navy (RN) has invested in an ambitious programme to deliver modern electronic warfare capabilities that will help its surface warships keep the UK and its allies safe around the world.
It鈥檚 fantastic to see the first MEWSIC system being delivered by DE&S and our industry partners so that this crucial phase of testing and evaluation can be carried out, and the capabilities of MEWSIC can be proven.
With Babcock International as the prime contractor working with Elbit Systems, MEWSIC is one half of the overarching upgrade to the Navy surface fleet鈥檚 EW capability under the Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP).
The other is a 鈥榯rainable鈥� launcher for EW decoys to confuse anti-ship missiles called 鈥楢ncilia鈥�, designed and built by Systems Engineering and Assessment (SEA) in Barnstaple, North Devon, which will replace Seagnat on existing destroyers and future frigates.
The 拢135 million system swivels rapidly and adjusts the angle at which decoy rounds are fired to maximise their effectiveness, which its predecessor cannot do. This means there is no need to manoeuvre the ship to counter the incoming threats as Ancilia will face them directly.
Some things still need to be done manually, however, including loading and unloading Ancilia with decoy rounds. Navy electronic warfare specialists have been testing the practicalities of how this can be done best ahead of the system coming into service.
This defensive combination will give Navy personnel in the operations room increased situational awareness, helping them to better understand the operational environment and deliver countermeasures to the right place at the right time.
Ancilia loaded. MOD Crown Copyright.
The integration of Ancilia with聽MEWSIC鈥檚 Command and Control system makes this anti-ship missile defence formidable. Two Ancilia systems will be fitted to Type 26, 31 and 45 when ready for installation, alongside MEWSIC.