A contract worth over £60m awarded by Defence Equipment & Support to BAE Systems for the upgrades of the Sting Ray torpedo will support many high skill jobs as well as drive investment into the UK SME and high-tech sectors.

DE&S has awarded the £60.1m contract to BAE Systems for the assessment phase of the Sting Ray Mid Life Upgrade (SRMLU) from Sting Ray Mod 1 to Mod 2 of the lightweight torpedo.

Sting Ray is currently in-service with the Royal Navy and is designed to counter fast, deep-diving submarines as well as quiet, conventional submarines operating in coastal waters.  The Sting Ray Mod 1 has been in service since 2001, developed from its predecessor Mod 0 torpedo which entered service in 1983.

The Sting Ray upgrade will also benefit the Royal Air Force’s capability.  In November 2023 the RAF announced that it had chosen the UK manufactured Sting Ray Torpedo as its future torpedo capability, alongside continued use of the United States Navy Mk54 weapon, on its Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

Cdre Steve Bolton, Senior Responsible Owner for the SRMLU programme, said:

“This is great news for the Royal Navy and other Sting Ray Lightweight torpedo users. We are taking what is already a very good Anti-Submarine Warfare weapon and turning it into the best in class.”

The four-year assessment phase covers the design and development of the Mod 2 upgrade, build of prototype weapons, and the conducting of an in-water trial. The upgrade will improve its performance against emerging threats.

As a result of this contract, more than 80 highly skilled engineering jobs will be supported at BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business in Portsmouth.  In addition, around 20 specialist manufacturing jobs at BAE Systems’ site in Hillend in Fife will be sustained. Further investment will also be generated into the UK supply chain of Small to Medium Enterprises and high-tech suppliers across the South of England.

Cdre Richard Harris, Deputy Director Weapons Operating Centre at DE&S, said:

“The Stingray Mid Life Upgrade Programme will enhance the UK’s lightweight torpedo, significantly improving the Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities delivered by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. This programme is an essential part of the daily mission that protects the nuclear deterrent and our undersea cables. I am grateful for the skills and expertise in the UK’s under water industries that provide the cutting edge technology that our armed forces need.”

Scott Jamieson, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, said:

“The Sting Ray torpedo remains at the heart of anti-submarine warfare. It’s a huge sign of confidence for the Company to be entering the next phase of development and be able to demonstrate its additional capabilities.

“This contract is vitally important to the UK’s strategic underwater defence plans and an important step in the advancement of our capability for decades to come.”