www.des.mod.uk Issue 146 October 2020 the magazine for defence equipment desider and support Unparalleled radar technology developed for Typhoon desider October 2020 Foreword ForewordBy Sir Simon Bollom, CEO COVID-19 has brought the future adversaries and develop health, safety and wellbeing a robust, interoperable plan. of our people into sharp Strengthening relationships with focus. Whether you’ve been our allies is key to advancing in part of a COVID-19 response line with the rapid evolution of team, seconded to another warfare and we will continue to government department or have build the international alliances adapted your ways of working, that have been at the centre of we have all worked together to so many of our major acquisition protect others and ourselves. programmes. In DE&S, we will We need to keep doing so. continue to embrace innovation With that backdrop, we are to successfully deliver urgent approaching an incredibly busy operational requirements and time with the much-anticipated shape future concepts. Integrated Review (IR), Elsewhere, we continue associated Spending Review to achieve a huge amount of and the Defence and Security success in our day-to-day Industrial Strategy. The IR is the projects and programmes. deepest and most radical review Last month we finally secured of Britain’s foreign security, approval for the world-leading defence and development ECRS radar to be integrated policy since the end of the Cold into Typhoon, reached initial War. It will undoubtedly have a operating capability for our significant impact on the future ORCUS counter-drone research direction of DE&S and the and development programme, programmes we manage. We and the world-leading Protector must be agile in our response aircraft made its maiden flight. to the review and carry on Many of you attended DE&S’ delivering to the high standards annual Safety Day. The theme we pride ourselves on. for this year was ‘Protecting The current crisis has brought Yourself, Protecting Others’. defence together in pursuit of COVID-19 has highlighted our shared goals and DE&S more than ever the need for us We“ must continues to adapt and develop to be aware of the impact of to meet the needs of whatever our actions. Embedding safety all upgrade defence and wider Government into every aspect of our work technologically to requests of us. I have the is important to every one of greatest confidence that we us – whether it’s through the be ahead of future will keep delivering world-class acquisition of safe products equipment and support to for front-line commands or adversaries and our armed forces, alongside managing our own safety. develop a robust, supporting the government This virtual event reinforced where we can with the ever- that we all have a role to play interoperable plan present risk of COVID-19. in providing assurance and Speaking virtually at the security for our organisation, US hosted Common Defence and we must keep driving Conference at the end of greater productivity without September, the increasing need compromising security. ” for stronger collaboration in Finally, I would like to sustaining our global supply welcome the new members of chain was recognised and our senior team, our new Heads agreed by our international of: Corporate Communications, partners. Agile procurement Helen Tobias; International was a central theme and how, Relations, Laura Farhall; as technology accelerates, and Strategy, Robin Kelly; we need a shift in thinking all of whom bring extensive if we are to keep pace and knowledge and expertise to their stay relevant in the digital respective roles. world. We must all upgrade technologically to be ahead of 3 desider October 2020 desider October 2020 Contents Contents Contents Twitter: @DefenceES On the cover Facebook: @DefenceES A Typhoon aircraft on the runway in the rain (Picture courtesy of BAE Systems) LinkedIn: Defence Equipment & Support 10HMS Spey debuts at sea 16First Person 20Small Diesel engines Steve Robinson, Type 26 contract to support critical YouTube: DE&S Combat Systems Manager mine hunters www.gov.uk/government/publications/desider-2020 Editor: Louisa Keefe Louisa Keefe - 07971 013054 [email protected] Contributors: Daniel Evans, Louise Allford, Tom Morris, Lowri Jones, Ash Pitman, Hannah Swingler, Paul McLennan Photography and Design: Katherine Williams, Jack Eckersley, Charlie Perham, Andrew Linnett, Geraint Vaughan, Grace Tamsett, Will Andrews and Hannah Bone Distribution Manager: Dick Naughton - 0117 9134342 6Senior Leader Comment 21Mexeflote successful trials in Southampton [email protected] Krishna Dhanak, Director Advertising Manager: Strategy and Corporate Edwin Rodrigues Operations [email protected] +44 (0) 20 3411 1008 Printing desider is distributed free to DE&S employees and the equipment capability organisations. Copies may be sent to readers outside MOD, including in the defence industries and is published on the world wide web via GOV.UK and www.des.mod.uk. While the editor takes care to ensure all material produced is accurate, no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Views expressed in desider, and products and services advertised, are not necessarily endorsed by DE&S or the MOD. All editorial submissions must be cleared by the relevant MOD authorities. © Crown Copyright Typhoon8 14Protector makes inaugural flight 24Supporting local community This magazine is printed on Novatech Matt FS 115gsm £317-million in funding to develop world-leading radar which is Forest Stewardship Council certified material from well-managed forests and elemental chlorine free. 4 5 desider October 2020 Senior Leader Comment Krishna Dhanak, Director Strategy and Corporate Operations, talks to Desider about her role, the future strategy for DE&S and the responsibilities she feels as a leader I’m now four months in post, We need to adapt to our wider Civil Service. I’m keen to manage the pandemic. I’m hugely after arriving in DE&S back in customers’ changing needs, help improve the lived experiences impressed by the contribution that June. Joining the organisation moving away from the individual of our people. Talking openly and DE&S has made to the national during a pandemic was a platform-centric approach. In authentically about the issues is effort and our performance scores somewhat unusual introduction – DE&S, we’ve always been in the the first step to taking informed for our military customers are the having to meet colleagues virtually business of buying platforms that action that will make a change for best yet. Great people doing a great and learn the organisation with drive, fly, or float. Now, we need the better. job in challenging circumstances. little opportunity for face-to-face to start changing that focus and And whilst there has been a Developing a strategy that engagement to begin with – but thinking in terms of data and particular focus on race recently, supports them and ensures we part of the job is always about intelligence flowing seamlessly it is also relevant now where are ready for the future, in every adapting, finding new ways to between platforms and across different parts of the workforce respect, is something to get excited work and keeping the show on the domains, to maximise our military are disproportionately affected about! road! I’m delighted to be here. capability in the battlespace, and by the restrictions put in place to The Director Strategy and also in the workplace. The ask of Corporate Operations role brings our customer is tough; we need together all my past experiences to be ready to respond alongside – including international policy, our suppliers, all enabled by the strategy, risk, security and cyber right people and the right delivery capability development - into focussed, culture. one role. That, coupled with Our culture and our values are the opportunity to influence part of what makes DE&S a great such a large, complex and vital place to work and they are also organisation, made it the ideal what will enable any strategy to My first – and biggest – package for me and an opportunity be delivered. A culture that can “ I couldn’t resist. And having challenge the status quo, where priority over the coming started my civil service career people are empowered to take months is to lead the in procurement (as it was called informed risk, where they can then), it feels like coming home. innovate, fail fast and recover development of a strategy for My first – and biggest – priority quickly. As well as one that over the coming months is to lead maximises a diversity of talent. the next generation of DE&S the development of a strategy for It is fair to say, like the rest of the next generation of DE&S. One defence, we have some way to go that allows us to fully exploit our on our D&I agenda. skills in delivery for our customers Having lived some of those - all in a fiscally challenging challenges on a personal level, I’ve ” environment and with an ever- experienced racism throughout evolving threat. my career, both in defence and the 6 desider October 2020 desider October 2020 A Typhoon aircraft on the runway in the rain (Picture courtesy of BAE Systems) News News World-leading radar to be developed for RAF Typhoons This continued development“ is the culmination of years of collaborative work with industry to deliver cutting-edge radar capability to the The radar development programme, negotiated by DE&S’ Typhoon delivery RAF. It will sustain hundreds of highly-skilled team, will see hundreds of highly skilled jobs sustained across the UK jobs across UK industry and is central to the UK’s future combat air strategy Sir Simon Bollom,” DE&S CEO DE&S has helped negotiate the Scanned Array (AESA) radar, jobs across UK industry and is needed in the world.