The new Type 31 Frigates for the Royal Navy will be fitted with the Thales NS110 surveillance radar. The radar passed its factory acceptance test at the end of February, witnessed by a delegation of customers including Babcock International and the UK Ministry of Defence. This radar will be used initially for integration testing before being installed on-board the Type 31.
Gerben Edelijn, Vice-President Thales Above Water Systems said “The Type 31 program is very important to Thales and we are proud to play such a pivotal role in it. This Factory Acceptance Test demonstrates our commitment to delivery in accordance with specification.”
“The success of this milestone is very important to the T31 enterprise. We’re proud to be part of this national endeavour and to be providing mission critical systems to our customers” said Alex Cresswell, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Thales in the UK
As part of the Thales NS100 family of radars, the NS110 dual-axis multi-beam sensor enables simultaneous detection of a high variety of targets in a single operational mode, providing unrivalled air and surface surveillance. With the additional forward and backward scanning technology, situational awareness is enhanced significantly resulting in fast track initiation and high quality weapon support.
About Type 31
The Type 31 / Arrowhead 140 is based on the proven Iver Huitfeldt-class of frigate of the Royal Danish Navy, designed by OMT, and adapted to Royal Navy requirement by Babcock and BMT. Thales will supply the combat management system of the Type 31. The frigates will be assembled at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, and involve supply chains throughout the UK, in line with the UK’s shipbuilding strategy.
The new class will replace five general-purpose Type 23 frigates which have served the Royal Navy since the early 1990s. All five are due to be in service by 2028, operating alongside Type 26 or City-class frigates which will be dedicated submarine hunters and will replace the equivalent specialist Type 23s.
