Royal Navy pursues EW recapitalization through MEWP

Aug 16, 2023

Richard Scott 21 Oct 2022

Representing a total investment of around £500 million, MEWP is a dual-track spiral acquisition intended to progressively update surface ship electronic surveillance, electronic warfare command and control (EWC2) and soft-kill capabilities over the next two decades. Initially focused on self-defense at the single ship level, it is planned that later increments will address task group EWC2 and force-level anti-ship missile defense (ASMD).

The first strand of MEWP, known as the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC), is being taken forward to deliver enhanced sensing and EWC2. MEWSIC has been designed from the outset to adopt open architecture principles so as to enable adaptation and technology insertion through life.

Following a protracted industry competition, the Babcock-led BEQ team – also comprising Elbit Systems UK and QinetiQ – was in October 2021 awarded a £103 million contract to deliver the MEWSIC Increment 1 solution. Extending over a 13-year period, the MEWSIC increment 1 contract covers the supply of new EW equipment suites to equip RN Type 26 and Type 31 frigates from build, for retrofit to Type 45 destroyers and the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, and for installation in trials and training establishments. The full scope of supply also includes in-service support, the provision of training solutions, installation and commissioning, technical test and integration, and technical authority services.

Under the BEQ collaboration, Elbit Systems UK will provide both the wideband digital radar electronic support measures system and EWC2 subsystem from its proprietary eM-e EW suite. This solution is built on the pedigree of EW systems previously delivered by Elbit’s Israeli parent to the Israeli Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Two further MEWSIC increments are planned: Increment 2 will implement unspecified improvements to the Increment 1 baseline; Increment 3 represents a more substantial uplift to offer a capability for EWC2 at the Task Group level.

The second strand of MEWP, referred to as Electronic Warfare Counter Measures (EWCM), is intended to provide RN surface combatants with an improved soft-kill countermeasures capability. Again, it is planned to adopt a phased procurement approach that will, over time, build from soft-kill ASMD at single ship-level to integrated task group protection.

EWCM Increment 1 is split into two parts: Increment 1a provides for the acquisition of a new trainable decoy launcher, to replace the existing Outfit DLH, which will be capable of deploying both legacy 130mm rounds and future decoys; Increment 1b calls for the procurement of a second-generation radio frequency (RF) active offboard decoy.

The longer-term EWCM Increment 2 is designed to provide a persistent offboard RF countermeasures capability for Task Group defense. The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is leading work to explore candidate offboard concepts, including a maritime recoverable decoy suitable for deployment on either an uncrewed aerial vehicle and/or an uncrewed surface vehicle. Outside of the scope of MEWP, a separate program known as Ardent Wolf is focused on improving the maritime communications electronic support measures (CESM) capability on the RN’s Type 23 frigates. Babcock earlier this month announced that it had been awarded a contract by the MoD to deliver the Ardent Wolf program, which will replace the existing Hammerhead CESM system (also supplied by Babcock) on Type 23 frigates