Mar 2013 Issue 58 desthe magazine for defenceider equipment and support DE&S delivers a mini spy in the sky desider directory – an annual look at DE&S' industry partners See inside RAF Typhoons Testing deal Moving heaven Lifeblood Model pass 100 mark is renewed and earth of Bloodhound behaviour Our UK employees are proud to provide kit for Britain’s armed forces. We design, manufacture and maintain ghter jets, armoured vehicles and naval vessels including the Typhoon aircraft, Scimitar light tanks and the Astute Class of submarine. But we’re prouder still of the contribution and sacri ces made by our armed forces every day. Thank you. REAL PRIDE. REAL ADVANTAGE. Our UK employees are proud to provide kit for Britain’s armed forces. We design, FEATURES manufacture and maintain ghter jets, 22 armoured vehicles and naval vessels 19 MOD announces the Equipment Plan including the Typhoon aircraft, Scimitar For the first time the Government has set out spending on a light tanks and the Astute Class of fully-funded Equipment Plan, outlining almost £160 billion submarine. But we’re prouder still of the for the Armed Forces over the next ten years contribution and sacri ces made by our armed forces every day. Thank you. 22 Mini spy, maximum effect The Black Hornet Unmanned Air System may be the lightest used by the UK military but it has been punching RLC Sgt Rupert Frere Picture: considerably above its weight 24 Bloodhound comes up to speed DE&S is being urged to draw as much benefit as possible from the UK's attempt to set a new land speed record in the deserts of South Africa 26 Let the winds blow New air defence radars are being installed on UK coasts to keep military airspace free from disruption caused to equipment by rotating blades of wind farms cover image 2013 The Black Hornet Unmanned Air System is the lightest 28 Turning of the Tides to be used by the UK military but, since being introduced Future auxiliary tankers are being model tested to see how into Afghanistan operations last May its support to MARCH they will fare in keeping Royal Navy ships fit to fight troops means it has proved very popular. desider NEWS Assistant Head, Public Relations: Ralph Dunn - 9352 30257 or 0117 9130257 4 Queen Elizabeth takes a bow [email protected] Assembly of the first two-thirds of the new Royal Navy carrier Queen Elizabeth has been completed Deputy Editor: at Rosyth Steve Moore - 9352 30537 or 0117 9130537 [email protected] 6 Test deal is extended Test, evaluation and training will continue on QinetiQ Distribution Manager: ranges after DE&S completed a five-yearly review of Dick Naughton - 9352 34342 or 0117 9134342 its terms with the company [email protected] 11 Nuclear propulsion on a sound footing Advertising: Rolls-Royce will deliver and maintain the UK's Richard Stillman – Ten Alps Media, 40 Bowling Green nuclear propulsion capability under a new £800 Lane, London EC1R 0NE million contract with DE&S Tel: +44 (0)20 7657 1837 Fax: +44 (0)20 7379 7155 12 First Navy Wildcat takes to the skies [email protected] The Lynx Wildcat, a replacement for the Navy's Mk 8, has been put through its paces at Yeovilton, where it will be based Printing: 13 DVD to focus on support DVD, the stakeholder event for land equipment, is back for the tenth time this summer at its traditional home in Bedfordshire desider is distributed free of charge to DE&S employees and the equipment capability sponsor. Copies can also ISTAR’s future is confirmed be made available to readers outside the MOD, including 14 those in the defence industries. While the editor takes Clive Tarver has been confirmed as Director ISTAR care to ensure all material produced is accurate, no as his operating centre will remain in existence liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Views beyond March 2014 expressed in desider, and the products and services advertised, are not necessarily endorsed by DE&S or the 16 Terrier takes a leap forward MOD. All content for advertorials must be cleared by the Trials on Salisbury Plain have confirmed the relevant MOD project team before publication. necessary reliability of Terrier, the UK's future armoured engineering vehicle © Crown Copyright 18 System turns out its first graduates This magazine is produced on Cocoon Three Royal Navy observer students have become Silk 90gsm which contains 50 per the first to graduate from the UK Military Flying cent recycled and de-inked pulp from Training System post consumer waste and Forest Stewardship Council certified material from well-managed forests. Insider REAL PRIDE. REAL ADVANTAGE. Bernard Gray Chief of Defence Materiel Queen Elizabeth – take a bow! ASSEMBLY OF the front end of the new ‘The Materiel Strategy and Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen the wider defence equipment Elizabeth was completed last month. Aircraft Carrier Alliance workers at programme have been the focus Rosyth in Scotland successfully attached of Parliamentary activity during the 1,000-tonne bow unit to the huge ship, completing the forward part of her hull. the past few weeks’ And the forward island section of the ship has completed its journey from Portsmouth to join the other parts of the THE end of the financial year hearing last month, along with vessel in Rosyth. and the start of the new one next my Defence Board colleagues; Two-thirds of Queen Elizabeth, the month is a good time to take the Permanent Secretary Jon first of the two carriers, has now been stock and to consider some of the Thompson and Director General assembled. Launch is set for next year. challenges DE&S may face in the Finance David Williams as well as Director of Ship Acquisition at DE&S, future. Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Rear Admiral Steve Brunton, said: Continued work on the (Military Capability) Air Marshal “Fitting of the upper bow unit means that Materiel Strategy is, I know, at Stephen Hillier. I explained to the majority of the forward half of Queen the forefront of your minds. The the committee how our work in Elizabeth is now in place. The forward and Board’s plan to improve and DE&S is driving greater realism aft island structures, containing the ship’s sharpen our communications into the timetabling and costing bridges, funnels and radar masts, will be with you on all aspects of this of projects, how some of the fitted in the next few months, followed by programme is moving ahead problems caused by policy-driven the final hull and flight deck sections. purposefully. In this edition delays to some projects are still “Assembly is progressing well with you will find articles relating with us and the work we are major additions almost every week. The to a DE&S Senior Management doing to improve efficiency in the team are working very hard at the moment awayday that focussed on the programme. with an increasing focus on completing Materiel Strategy and also some The House of Commons the inside of the ship, whilst construction useful underpinning material Defence Committee also of Prince of Wales is also well underway.” setting out the reasons why published its long awaited Among other milestones last month the DE&S Board believes that a Defence Acquisition report which the first of the marine gas turbines were Government Owned Contractor considered evidence given in 2012 installed in Queen Elizabeth, pictured Operated solution is the best to the committee. It too confirmed below. approach to achieving the aims of the positive steps made by the The Rolls-Royce MT30 at 36 megawatts acquisition reform, subject to a MOD for including addressing (around 50,000 horsepower) is the world’s full and fair competition against the overheated defence budget most powerful marine gas turbine engine. the best that DE&S can do in the and the introduction of finance, Two MT30s will be installed in each of the public sector. In the meantime military and capability reforms. two carriers and will provide two-thirds work within Materiel Strategy The new customers, in the of the 109 megawatts needed to power the continues apace three single-service Commands, 65,000-tonne ships – enough electricity to There is a wide range of DE&S Joint Forces Command and power a large town. events at which you can ask the Strategic Programmes The power generated will meet the questions and join in discussions Directorate in head office, all carriers' demand for energy, which about the future. One opportunity start to work under their new includes the propulsion motors, weapons will be a new quarterly event delegations at the beginning of and navigation systems as well as the at which you will be able to put April. Briefings are in progress entire low-voltage requirements for your questions directly to Board within DE&S to ensure that lighting and power sockets. members in an open forum. those of you who are affected by The MT30s are being installed with As I am sure you are all these important changes fully an alternator and steel turbine enclosure, aware, the Materiel Strategy and understand the implications together weighing 120 tonnes. the wider defence equipment and the major impact they will Tony Graham, DE&S Head of Ships, programme have been the have on the evolution of defence said: “The successful achievement of this focus of Parliamentary activity acquisition. during the past few weeks. The Finally, I was pleased to see National Audit Office’s Major that the Submarine Enterprise Projects Report and analysis Performance Programme had of the MOD’s first ten-year taken a significant step towards £160 billion Equipment Plan achieving the savings target of at recognised that the MOD has least £900 million as set out in the taken significant positive steps Strategic Defence and Security to close an estimated £74 billion Review with the award of a ten- gap between planned funding and year contract to Rolls-Royce and defence programme costs.