MOD signs £100m contract to deliver Royal Navy missile system

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £100 million contract to deliver a key defensive weapon for the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

Under the new investment, the Sea Ceptor air defence missile system, designed and built in the UK by MBDA, will be fitted to each of the new Type 26 ships.

Using innovations in radar and datalink technology that will guide these powerful missiles with pinpoint accuracy, Sea Ceptor will provide the Royal Navy with a shield against airborne threats such as the new generation of supersonic anti-ship missiles, fast jets, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The work will sustain around 85 jobs, including 55 at MBDA’s sites in Bristol, Stevenage and Lostock and 30 across the UK supply chain.

Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: “Sea Ceptor will ensure the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ships are protected as they, in turn, protect the UK and her interests, keeping our nuclear deterrent submarines and the UK’s two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers safe on operations around the globe.

“Supported by our rising Defence budget and our £178 billion equipment fund, Sea Ceptor is yet another example of how the MOD investing in cutting-edge kit to help our Armed Forces meet future threats.”