British torpedo to be integrated onto sub hunters next year

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed a GBP 19.2 million contract is to be awarded to BAE Systems to integrate the Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo onto the RAF’s fleet of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, with the contract due to be signed in February 2027 and running through to 2032, with an option to extend to 2035.

A transparency notice published in April 2026 confirmed the intention to direct award to BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited, with the MoD citing the company’s unique technical expertise spanning more than 26 years since it acquired the original equipment manufacturers who developed and manufactured the weapon.

The notice states that no other supplier holds the specific technical expertise, experience or engineering capability required to safely deliver the integration while maintaining current levels of weapon effectiveness, and that BAE possesses unique techniques, tooling and test equipment required to undertake integration and testing without exposing the programme to unacceptable engineering or safety risk.

The work covers demonstration and manufacture and may also extend to cover in-service support requirements, with a possible extension to 2035 described as covering additional manufacture and integration quantities, suggesting the contract could grow as the programme matures.

The MoD first announced its intention to select Sting Ray Mod 1 for the Poseidon fleet in late 2023, with an initial contract value of £10.8 million reported in May 2025.

The RAF’s nine P-8 Poseidons have operated from RAF Lossiemouth since 2020 and are currently armed with the US-supplied Mk54 lightweight torpedo, procured alongside the aircraft to provide an immediate in-service capability. Sting Ray Mod 1 will complement rather than replace the Mk54, giving crews a sovereign British weapon alongside continued use of the American alternative.