Royal Navy: HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth to be fitted with new electronic warfare system
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A new electronic warfare system is being rolled out ahead of being fitted to HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) will also be installed on Type 45 destroyers, and the new Type 26 and 31 frigates being built for the frigate.
MEWSIC provides a sensor upgrade to the Navy’s existing Electronic Warfare (EW) capability, a system that allows enemy targets to be identified, as well as their equipment and movement. This helps sailors plan on how to proceed and conduct their operations.
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The first production model has been set to work at Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol, with the updated Combat Management System being delivered to Portsdown Technology Park overlooking Portsmouth. Its software development will be completed at the technology park.
MEWSIC is one half of the overarching upgrade to the Surface Fleet’s electromagnetic warfare capability. The Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP) will also see the new “trainable” Ancilia decoy missile launcher be installed on Type 26, 31 and 45 warships.
The £135m system – which will replace Seagnat on existing destroyers and future frigates - confuses anti-ship missiles. It swivels rapidly and adjusts the angle of the decoy rounds so they can be fired accurately and effectively. This allows for rounds to be fired without rotating the ship itself.
Combining Ancilia with MEWSIC allows the personnel in the operations room to have more situational awareness, making it easier to deliver countermeasures against the enemy in the right place at the right time.
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Hide AdThe missile launcher still needs to be reloaded, with Royal Navy electronic warfare specialists carrying out training exercises over the past three days. They gave feedback to the designers to try and make the system as simple and effective as possible. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently signed a £285m contract with BAE Systems to develop new Combat Management Systems (CMS) for several vessels.
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