LONDON (Reuters) – Britain handed a 1.85 billion pound ($2.36 billion) contract to French electronic defence company Thales on Friday to maintain the sonar and sensors on Royal Navy ships and submarines over the next 15 years.
The deal will see Thales use artificial intelligence, data management and virtual reality to predict faults and cut repair times, boosting the number of days ships are available to operate at sea, the Ministry of Defence said.
“In a time of global instability, it is imperative we minimise the time our ships and submarines are out for maintenance,” Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said following a visit to Devonport Naval Base in southwest England.
Britain’s Royal Navy is currently working with the U.S.
Navy in the Gulf region in an effort to protect international shipping in the Red Sea from an upsurge in attacks by Houthi forces based in Yemen.
Thales services the sensors and sonars used by Royal Navy ships and submarines, ensuring they can hear underneath the water and other electronic warfare equipment can function.
Britain said the fresh contract would support 300 existing jobs and add a further 150 new jobs.
($1 = 0.7836 pounds)
(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)
