The new UK government has reconfirmed plans to equip Type 45 destroyers with ballistic missile defence capabilities, following an inquiry by Conservative MP James Cartlidge regarding the future of the Sea Viper missile system.
The confirmation, which comes from Labour’s recently appointed Minister of State for Defence, Maria Eagle, marks the first public acknowledgement under the new government that this critical upgrade to the Royal Navy’s warships will proceed.
The programme, known as the “Sea Viper Evolution,” is intended to enhance the Type 45’s Multi-Function Radar, Combat Management System (CMS), Command and Control (C2), and Aster 30 missile systems.
The upgrade is being rolled out in two stages, with the first already in the Demonstration and Manufacture Phase and the second currently under Assessment, expected to complete by 2025.
“The enhancement of Sea-Viper is named Sea-Viper Evolution, which includes upgrades to the Type 45 Destroyer’s Multi Function Radar, Combat Management System (CMS), Weapon Command and Control, and the Aster 30 missile,” Eagle said, reaffirming the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) commitment to strengthening the destroyer’s capabilities.
Originally announced by the previous Conservative government, the Sea Viper upgrade includes plans for the UK to become the first European nation to operate a maritime ballistic missile defence (BMD) capability.
This will allow the destroyers to detect and intercept advanced anti-ship ballistic missiles, an increasing threat in modern naval warfare. The defence system will use the Aster 30 Block 1 missile, previously only available in land-based systems, and will be adapted for maritime use.
A £300 million contract for the initial stages of this upgrade was signed last year with MBDA, the European defence company tasked with converting the Aster 30 missile for use on the UK’s destroyers. This contract supports over 100 jobs in the UK across several key locations, including Stevenage, Cowes, Bristol, and Bolton.
As the Labour government prepares for its upcoming Defence Review, this confirmation of continuity underlines the importance placed on addressing longstanding concerns raised about Royal Navy vulnerability to ballistic missile threats.
“Joining our French and Italian counterparts will see us collectively improve the cutting-edge technology our armed forces possess,” said previous Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin at the time of the initial contract announcement.
I thought it was the Aster B1 NT. A good candidate for a land-based solution.
The British military never imports anything to a standard and always insists on tweaking. I believe RN is upgrading to Aster B1 with a new warhead. So strictly neither B1 nor B1 NT.
The Missile the RN has chosen is a variation of the one used in SAMP-T.
Totally Coll. It’s an absolute no brainer. The French have just order 8 sets of new SAMP/T and Italy another. Obvious synergies with RN and shared inventories too. And if they add MK41s to the T45s they’ll have even more options and capacities. Leave the CAMM silos for other ships, RFAs, for exports.
Italy has sea and land Aster and CAMM-ER, something the UK can also do.
SVE1 which is being developed includes Aster blk 1. SVE2 which is less advanced will consider the use of block 1nt.
Isn’t Block 1NT the more advanced missile? It has a new seeker and a longer range than Block 0 and Block 1 (>150km for the 1NT compared to >120km).
Aren’t SVE1 and SVE2 essentially at a “guaranteed” implementation status w/ contracts already placed w/ MBDA? The really intriguing question will be potential RN participation in the Aquila programme, which presumably will address maneuvering ballistic missiles, and hpersonic cruise missiles and glide vehicles. That could prove to be a very sporting proposition from multiple perspectives (resource, technical, time sink, etc.). Strictly personal speculation, but that may prove to be the final phase of development, before DEW becomes a viable complementary system. 🤔
My understanding the MOD saved money and only funded the B1 software upgrade which still uses the lower definition Ku seeker and not the new higher definition wave band Ka seeker fitted in the B1 NT, New Technology, as France and Italy, which enables defence of 1500 km range TBMs vs only 600 km with the B1.
Saving money on something like this and the T45s still having another 10+ years of service life? Seems a bit short sighted…by about 900km. Hopefully the higher grade will follow on.
Seeing as the carriers are defenseless and very sinkable why wasn’t it taken Into account two decades ago
The carriers are ‘extremely’ vulnerable in this era of mass missile and drone attacks. T45 was conceived in an era when you might face 3 or 4 missiles fired at you. Today, in a high end war with China (by example) with their huge (and growing by the month) fleet of highly capable missile armed destroyers, fielding the Chinese equivalent of Mk41 vertical launchers, an Aircraft carrier battle group could find itself being targeted by 30 or more supersonic sea skimming missiles in one sitting!! We need ships with 80 plus SAM’s on board (long range and point defence) and… Read more »
The issue is that is already out of date. The way both Ukraine and Russia have operated is combine expensive missiles with cheap drones in their hundreds to completely saturate air defences. It won’t be long before that figure becomes thousands.
Not so sure on the very sinkable side, the US had problems sinking one of its carriers. Made inoperable is a whole different topic.
Why can’t the Type 45 intercept these missiles already? I’ve read that the sea viper missile system can Detect/ track & intercept an object the size of a cricket ball travelling at twice the speed of sound 30 miles away, why should ballistic missiles pose such a different level of threat?
Look at the deployment of HMS Diamond in the Red Sea, that revealed what Sea Viper is capable of even in its current form.
I’m aware of what HMS Diamond has been doing ( successfully) in the gulf region, but I ask again, surely the Type 45 is already capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, why the upgrade?
I’m no expert but I understand the current radar is capable of detecting objects in or at the minimum in near space. It would be even better with a third top upward looking unit as was offered some time ago. The combat system and the current missiles though capable are not optimised or sensitive enough to handle the job of interception at sufficient range, in particular fast and/or manoeuvring objects certainly at sufficient range. Upgrading all three areas gives a far more capable and reliable interception capability up to medium range ballistic missiles at extended range giving wider cover to… Read more »
Thanks for the reply, what you have to say makes sense, cheers.
I honestly don’t know why the RN is not going for aster 30 block 1 NT..when you consider it’s going to be a far better missile. I was actually looking at the planning and orders around the Italian navy and it’s starting to make the RN and RAF a bit anaemic to be honest… so air defence wise air from a airforce point of view, 1) they are ordering new typhoons to replace their tranche 1s..so they will be keeping 90 tranche 2,3,4 typhoons ( 20 of them brand spanking new) 2) and upping their f35 orders..for a total of… Read more »