British MOD Contracts £250 Million for Sea Ceptor Missile Air Defense Systems

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Sea Ceptor
The new Sea Ceptor Mach 3 naval air defense missile will replace the Vertical Launch SeaWolf on Type 23 frigates and extend the vessel’s defense against supersonic attack missiles. Photo: MBDA
MBDA received a £250M production contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the delivery of the Sea Ceptor air defence weapon system, that comprises of the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) and system equipment. Sea Ceptor will initially equip the Royal Navy’s (RN) Type 23 frigates from 2016 onwards replacing Seawolf and then be integrated into the Type 26 frigates as the primary air defence system.
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The deployment of Sea Ceptor was required as a replacement of the Seawolf, as it reaches the end of its service life. CAMM’s active seeker technology, soft vertical launch and compact installation footprint give Sea Ceptor an excellent defensive capability for a worldwide variety of vessels against multiple threats. Sea Ceptor will be installed in the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship as they replace the Type 23s in the 2020s. With MOD expected to commit to manufacture of the T26 in the middle of this decade, cross-decking this capability will ensure that the T26 enters service with a proven air defence capability.

The contract will directly sustain around 250 highly skilled technology jobs across MBDA and the UK-based supply chain and approximately the same number again indirectly. The production line will be optimised to supply the UK requirements whilst also supporting potential overseas customers who wish to acquire Sea Ceptor. Final assembly of the CAMM missiles will be done at MBDA’s Lostock manufacturing and assembly facility whilst nine UK-based 1st tier subcontractors are distributed across sites in England and Scotland.