A marine defence firm based in Dorset has secured a £32m contract to supply the Royal Navy with underwater mine hunting technology.
The UK subsidiary of German engineering group Atlas Elektronik - based at Dorset Innovation Park near Wool - will deliver three minesweeping systems comprising a total of nine vehicles over three years, along with a training and support package.
DE&S, the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said the new technology - which can be controlled remotely by operators either at sea or on land - would help to ensure Royal Navy personnel could combat the “rapidly evolving” threat of naval mines.
It will also be deployed to help maintain the freedom of movement for UK ships and submarines when defending the country at sea. The contract will create 50 highly skilled jobs in the UK and a further 23 roles across Europe.
Jeremy Quin, minister for defence procurement, said: “This innovative technology is a huge leap forward for the Royal Navy and will be crucial to protecting the security and safety of our personnel. Supporting wider British industry, it also reinforces our focus on ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of tackling defence threats.”
Wesley Galliver, head of surface ship systems at Atlas Elektronik UK, added: “We are very proud the advanced mine countermeasures technology that AEUK has invested in over the years is now being provided to the RN for their flagship Mine Counter Measures (MCM) operational evaluation programme.
“MCM is at the heart of our business and AEUK are delighted to enhance the RN’s autonomous systems capability.”
The contract was negotiated by DE&S’ mine hunting capability team, with the first medium autonomous underwater vessel equipment expected to be delivered in spring 2023.
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