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BAE SYSTEMS awarded Future Carrier Programme Assessment Stage 2 contract

21 Nov 2001

BAE Systems welcomes the award of a 25 million contract for the next stage of the UK's Future Carrier Programme. This new stage will run for one year to November 2002 and should mark the end of the competitive phase. Subject to the necessary progress being made, the Ministry of Defence will then downselect to a preferred supplier.

John Weston, BAE Systems Chief Executive said: "We are delighted that the Future Carrier team has been awarded this contract. The two new carriers will be the Royal Navy's flagships, a key component of the UK's future military capability. This is an important piece of business for us and we will strive to be the selected Prime Contractor for the supply of these highly capable and versatile ships. We believe that we bring great added value to this programme, through the expertise we have developed as Prime Contractor and Systems Integrator on other major programmes, both naval and air."

Mark Kane, BAE Systems Future Carrier Managing Director, said: "During Stage 1, we developed a close partnership with the Ministry of Defence and team members Rolls-Royce, Vosper Thornycroft, Alenia Marconi Systems, Northrop Grumman and Harland & Wolff to develop innovative and affordable solutions for the Future Carrier. In Stage 2, we are planning to bring in other key team members as the programme moves into the next exciting phase to ensure that the UK is provided with the best-value-for-money solution."

After completion of Stage 2, the Ministry of Defence is expected to downselect to a preferred supplier and will release contract cover for the third and final Stage of Assessment. Stage 3 will focus on further risk reduction and affordability considerations, as well as further development of the design maturity and build strategy. Award of a contract for the Demonstration and Manufacture Phase is anticipated in Spring 2004.

BAE Systems is the major prime contractor in the naval arena in the UK, with programmes such as the Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer and the Astute submarine contracts for the Royal Navy. The company was recently successful as a member of the winning Lockheed Martin team for the award of the System Design and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is front runner for operation from the Future Carriers. BAE Systems' knowledge of naval aviation will enable the company to design the Future Carriers to maximise the effectiveness of each element of the Carrier Air Group.
About Future Carrier

The Future Carrier (designated CVF) is the project to replace the Royal Navy's current three INVINCIBLE Class carriers with two larger and more capable ships, to enter service in 2012 and 2015.

Requirement:

* The primary role of the Future Carrier is to support aircraft, including the future Joint Carrier Aircraft (FJCA) and Future Organic Airborne Early Warning system (FOAEW)
* The Future Carrier must have the capability to deploy and operate aircraft effectively overseas without host nation support in a hostile environment
* They will be joint defence assets providing increased utility in maritime, land and air operations in both civilian assistance and warfighting roles

Primary characteristics:

Overall length: 250 to 340m
Displacement: 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes
Complement: 600 to 1,100 crew with embarked squadron and Command Staffs
Propulsion: Not nuclear - a range of options is being considered, including Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP).
In Service Date: 2012 and 2015 for CVF01 and CVF02
Armament: Will deploy the Future Joint Carrier Aircraft (FJCA)
Budget: Approximately 2.5 billion initial acquisition and 6 billion through life.

About BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems is the truly global systems, defence and aerospace company. BAE Systems employs some 100,000 people and has annual sales of around 12 billion. The company offers a global capability in air, sea, land and space with a world-class prime contracting ability supported by a range of key skills. BAE Systems designs and manufactures civil and military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, space systems, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, guided weapon systems and a range of other defence products.