The Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a £60 million contract to upgrade the Royal Navy’s autonomous Sting Ray lightweight torpedo.

The team will design and develop the Sting Ray torpedo upgrade over a four-year assessment phase, which will include the construction of prototypes and in-water trials.

The upgrade will implement new technological features, including added deployment options, ensuring that Sting Ray continues to meet the challenge of emerging threats now and into the future.

The torpedo is currently in-service with armed forces around the world, including the UK Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with the latter announcing its selection as part of its future torpedo capability on Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft last November. Operational since the 1980s and designed to counter submarine targets of all types, Sting Ray can be launched from either ships or aircraft.

Scott Jamieson, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, said: “The Sting Ray torpedo remains at the heart of anti-submarine warfare. It’s a huge sign of confidence for the Company to be entering the next phase of development and be able to demonstrate its additional capabilities.

“This contract is vitally important to the UK’s strategic underwater defence plans and an important step in the advancement of our capability for decades to come.”

Cdre Steve Bolton, Deputy Director Aviation Programmes, Royal Navy, said: “This is great news for the Royal Navy and other Sting Ray users; we are taking what is already a very good anti-submarine warfare weapon and turning it into the best in class.”

The new contract will support more than 80 highly-skilled engineering jobs at BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business in Portsmouth as well as around 20 specialist manufacturing jobs at BAE Systems’ site in Hillend in Fife. It will also create additional investment in UK SME and high-tech suppliers across the UK.

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