UK Navy awards $354 million contract to modernize Combat Management Systems and warship networks

Europe, News January 31, 2025 , by IRIA No Comments

3 minute read

The UK Ministry of Defense awarded a £285 million ($354.8 million) contract to BAE Systems to modernize the Royal Navy’s Shared Infrastructure, Combat Management Systems, and warship networks.

The eight-year program, known as RECODE, aims to ensure the Navy’s fleet remains fully equipped to meet emerging military challenges. Designed to meet the Royal Navy’s future needs, the program will deliver rapid modernization to enable the agile deployment of new capabilities.

This contract builds on more than 13 years of successful collaboration between BAE Systems and the Royal Navy, during which BAE’s Combat Management Systems have been deployed across various naval assets of the British Navy.

The RECODE program aims to ensure the safety, security, and availability of combat systems across 20 ships of the Royal Navy, with ongoing architectural and capability upgrades to match the fleet’s operational pace.

Under the contract, the BAE Systems will deploy its Combat Management Systems on key vessels, such as the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, Type 45 destroyers, and Type 26 frigates.

The RECODE program will adopt the engineering principles of DevSecOps1, integrating security throughout the software development and operational lifecycle for faster delivery of advanced Combat Management Systems capabilities.

The program aims to foster closer coordination, joint decision-making, and enhanced communication by introducing a more collaborative working approach between the UK’s Defence Equipment & Support Maritime Combat Systems and Navy Command.

*^{UK Royal Navy Operations Room. (Image Credit: BAE Systems)}*

Royal Navy’s Combat Systems Design Authority and Surface Ships Combat Systems Group Team Leader, Captain Kevin Miller termed the RECODE program as an important next phase of collaboration between the Royal Navy and BAE Systems.

Captain Miller said, “Today’s challenging landscape means we must adapt and evolve at pace. Agility is at the heart of the program in three ways – equipment to maintain our capability, process so we can adapt that capability at the pace of relevance, and a mindset to ensure we deliver. Those are the key facets that will enable the military advantage our crews are relying on.”

Interim Director of Sense, Decide and Communicate at DE&S, Commodore Phil Game highlighted, “This is an essential program that will sustain current combat management systems on board in-service Royal Navy vessels, to enhance their capability and make them fit for the future. This new program will ensure that at their core, the systems are evergreen, robust, and flexible.”

Commodore Phil Game added, “Through our close collaborative work with industry colleagues, this contract will also help to upskill the program’s workforce and sustain UK jobs. The improvements made will be instrumental in making the UK Royal Navy more agile and more capable in our rapidly changing global Defence environment.”

Naval Ships Combat Systems Director at BAE Systems, Steve Carter said, “RECODE represents a huge stride forward in our partnership with the Royal Navy and will help to realize warfare capability of the future. The global threat picture, advances in commercial technology, and the immense volume of data available to crews means we need to become even more ambitious and far-reaching in our services and support. We are excited and privileged to secure this program that will sit at the heart of the Navy’s ambition to be a protean force.”

UK Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier — *^{UK Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. (Image Credit: UK MoD)}*

According to the BAE Systems statement, the whole program will support over 200 highly-skilled jobs at BAE Systems’ Naval Ships division, across sites in Filton, Dorchester, New Malden, Frimley, and Portsmouth. It will also stimulate further investment in UK SMEs and high-tech suppliers across the country.