BAE Systems say they have completed “a huge wave of work” spanning the last two years and culminating in successful sea trials in the last few weeks.

The work has seen Combat Systems teams collaborate and successfully deliver a “super release” of software updates to both Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, “providing them with the latest capabilities required for their Carrier Strike Group and NATO deployments in 2022 and beyond”.

The main updates delivered to the Royal Navy and NATO Flagships are:

  • Shared Infrastructure (SI) system updates to host additional mission system capabilities
  • Tactical Data Links integration updates to broaden interoperability with task force platforms
  • Combat Management System updates to enhance security and performance

According to the firm in a news release:

“Under our seven year Joint Service Support 2 (JSS2) contract, our teams are proud to have partnered with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the Royal Navy, providing the latest capability and availability to the mission systems of the UK Royal Navy fleet, ensuring platforms are safe, secure and ready to complete their tasking.”

Steve Carter, Combat Systems Equipment Delivery Director, was quoted as saying:

“These last few months have been incredibly busy preparing this “super release”. Our teams have worked tirelessly to collectively develop, integrate and deliver the required upgrades and updates to the Royal Navy in a short space of time, to bring detailed, complex changes to the mission systems of the QEC Carriers. The most crucial of these updates has been to the Tactical Data Link interfaces, which are critical to enabling the ships’ to communicate and share data with other Royal Navy platforms and allies, essential for ensuring interoperability.”

Commodore Phil Game Royal Navy, Head of DE&S Maritime Combat Systems, was also quoted:

“The Carrier Strike Group deployment last year was hugely successful as a national endeavour, energising our diplomatic, trade and security partnerships. We need to build on this and deliver improved capability to our platforms with pace and agility, as demonstrated in this ‘super release’.”

BAE say that the next stage for their teams is the deployment of the same capability updates to the Type 45 Destroyers who will accompany the QECs on their respective deployments this year.

“The T45 Destroyers’ changes have successfully passed their Factory Acceptance Testing and are now at our Maritime Systems Integration facility undergoing formal Combat System Integration activity ahead of their Platform Harbour and Sea Trials.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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29 COMMENTS

  1. Well done to BAE.

    It brings up a load of questions in my mind that maybe knowledgeable people can answer..

    Is the TDL the same DLS 1 Mb/sec Link-16 the US are moving to? Will Wildcat get this, or are the needs of aircraft and ships different?

    Will the CMS upgrades keep rolling down to T23s, Albions and the Rivers, and is there an issue upgrading forward-based ships?

    • the Link-16 is an agreed NATO standard. I’ve not heard that the US are developing a faster data-link using Link-16 protocols. If they do, they’ll probably try to encourage NATO to adopt it as a standard for interoperability.

      Link-16 has a very rigid set of operator protocols that limit the data transmission rate and the amount of data that can be transmitted at any one time. However, by multiple phased waveforms, you can effectively increase the data bandwidth. This was done physically by stacking Link-16 units together (usually up to 4). However, technology has moved on, where a single unit can now transmit and receive multiple phased Link-16 waveforms. So depending on the unit’s capabilities can significantly enhance the data handling and throughput of Link-16. This may be what the Link-16 enhancements are alluding to?

      • Yes. That’s my understanding of the US upgrades.

        “CMN-4 upgrades add three additional receiver channels in the space of today’s one Link-16 channel to enable military ships and ground sites to receive four different messages in one time slot.

        It uses the four receiver/synthesizers to receive the first through fourth transmissions in a contention pool to increase Link-16 throughput and contention update rates.”

        I’ve just assumed it would allow single messages to be sent multi-channel for speed.

        And yes, it looks like it’s been sold to other NATO countries.

        • US will only sell kit fitted with Link 16 to Partners who operate its intelligence systems. ie F35s, P8s E3s/7s and Hawkeye’s and other such intelligence gathering platforms. they dont like sharing there sniffers

  2. Excellent news, it just goes to show the importance of thoroughly testing new software updates prior to installing them on any platform in order to avoid problems and delays later on.

    A job well done by all involved!

  3. There was a time when any meaningful capability enhance meant welding touches, big hunks of steel and cranes. These days they probably turn up with a laptop or two, plug in and press install, or do they still DVD’s?

    What it does underline is the importance of information on the modern battlefield, those who know the most and are able to exploit that knowledge have a huge advantage, even if they don’t always deliver the results…

    Cheers CR

    • DVDs!

      How very last century!. Could be worse it could be mag tape or heaven forbid mylar paper tapes( Showing my age now!)

      Most command programmes come on a SSD and you upload them to the system. For big software changes there is usually a set way of installing the upgrades. So for instance you need to do the main server/ cabinet upgrade, specific rack upgrades and any individual consoles that need to get upgrades and when all is done its off to sea to identify any features that may appear.

      On completion you will get a CCU ( Certificate of Clearance for Use) that list any anomalies and their effects if any and you are good to go. The Operators also receive some training as sometimes software updates alter the menu structure or the way you need to operate the system to get the new features to work at optimum.

      • Hi Gunbuster,

        As part of my apprenticeship I spent 3 months in the production engineering office producing the programme for an early CNC machine punching holes in sheet metal. It ran on punched paper tape..!

        They used to do proving runs at the weekend, my efforts inveriably produces interesting pieces on art work, much to the shop foreman’s amussement 😄

        Happy days

        CR

        • Back when I was a baby Tiff on one of the first T22s all of the command programmes for the Surveillance 967 Radar, 910 trackers and CAAIS command system went in on Paper tape. There where reams of the stuff all over the place !

  4. Probably shouldn’t be tempting fate here but Bae seem to be doing rather crucial, effective and high end work in software both sides of the pond these days on various platforms. Seems promising for Tempest and other future projects.

    • I think it’s called learning from other peoples mistakes!

      “The PYRAMID programme delivers operational advantage, freedom of action, and reduces the time and cost in implementing enhancements required to introduce new capabilities or to counter emerging threats. PYRAMID is critical to counter the impact of increasing complexity and cost of software in combat air systems and deliver capability to the war-fighter at pace.”

      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pyramid

      “The battlespace in which air forces will operate in the future continues to change and evolve.

      To meet threats we don’t even yet know about, we must create a next-generation air combat system which is agile, flexible, connected, rapid to update, and affordable.”

      https://www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/team-tempest/the-tech/

        • Is the problem with the f35 not more the air testing of weapons, clearances, checking the weapon doesn’t hit aircraft etc. Perhaps Lockheed or the US government made it harder on purpose so it has to be paid to them to sort it.
          I’ve not heard of any quick or easy weapon integration on an aircraft. Great news for carriers and fleet. The carrier has the fleet commanders on it and is the tallest mast in the fleet

          • I am hoping it won’t. It all depends on when the integration of the missile and Mitsubishi’s AESA radar goes ahead. I know the missile is having the rear steering fins redesigned, so it can fit in the F35B’s internal bay. If the missile gets integrated with the aircraft before the new seeker is fitted. It “shouldn’t” need another new set of release trials, as aerodynamically nothing has changed.

            The major difference will be when does the radar go active at BVR? So there will probably be trials at determining how it will be used. As compared to the legacy radar, it will have a much better target resolution, but also a lower probability of being detected. Therefore it could be activated sooner. Allowing the launch aircraft to focus on other threats sooner.

            The big issue that will need to be sorted is can the missile with the new radar still communicate properly with the weapons computer. But also can the aircraft read and display the new radar’s data.

            Japan are pouring a lot of money into the project. As the missile is going to be fitted to both their A and B versions. Currently their AAM-4B is fitted to the F15s and their home built F16s. They were talking about having Meteor also fitted to their F15s. So I am presuming this would be the modified Meteor rather than the legacy one. Looking at Japanese press releases, they seem to be seriously pushing for the missile, due to massive growth of China’s PLAAF and their advancement in producing 5th Gen fighters.

            They are also helping finance the Kongsberg JSM integration.

  5. Just shows the importance of cyber warfare in the modern world as platforms become more interlinked and share information they become more vulnerable offensive cyber attacks and the need for updated security is as important as soft and hard kill defensive systems.

    We live in a world where offensive cyber Against millitary and civilian infrastructure and capacity will be the first wave of any peer war or even asymmetric conflict ( North Korea vs US ect).

    • A military data link and command system is nothing like a home computer or even a work network. The encryption and security features along with the fact that its pretty bespoke limit the ability to get it broken into. The easiest way to compromise a system is to have someone put malware on it by physically being at the system and loading up the malware.
      Limiting access to systems to authorised personnel, locking down access ports, heavy password and authentication systems and general good SYOPS processes limit the chance of a successful cyber attack.

      The worst cyber incident the western powers have suffered was probably a Conficker attack in 2008/09. It screwed up Navystar (amongst others) which was an office admin system in RN use. However as other things where in use on Navystar such as maintenance records it had unforeseen affects on whole ship systems. As I was the Maintenance System Manager on a Capital warship at the time it was a major headache. We could not confirm maintenance was in date for say a weapon shoot. Not a massive problem …you redo the maint and then you are good to go…unless it was say 1 or 2 annual maintenance done by a shore side system engineer that you cannot confirm is still in date!

      Us dinosaurs who remembered the days before electronic office automation went back to snowpake on old forms , writing out reports and walking around talking to people…no emails…I must say it was great …hundreds of emails a day to none, talking to people in their work place , having a coffee, It was fantastic…

      And then some Geek fixed it!

      That infection came from a USB thrumb drive.

      Conficker – One of the Most Prevalent & Complex Windows Worms (minitool.com)

  6. Would this be the tactical data link that might let them talk to the Wildcats, once they get that upgrade? Or is it another one? I presume they can already talk to their organic F-35Bs via MADL?
    Or might this be a reference to something that would allow CEC, especially as they reference T45 in there too? I understand we have some kind of ability to do this already, but from what I’d heard it was more of a workaround than a proper system that allowed delivered a comprehenisive battlegroup-wide picture of all sensors in the network.

    • Good question. I remember some years ago questions being asked in the House about the carriers not having MADL and having to use Link-16. I’d hope that was sorted before IOC was declared, but a quick search hasn’t brought up any confirmation.

      • I’d be pretty disappointed if they didn’t have MADL, especially with the USMC on board too. But I wouldn’t put it past the MOD…

  7. It is good that BAE have been able to deploy a security upgrade to a complex weapon system such as the Carriers. Those with long memories will recall that the Vanguard CASD used an obsolete upatched version of Windows XP to operate the Trident missile launch and targeting system. As this software had worked well during the periodic test firings of the Trident D5, the MoD deemed that patching it to the latest standard was an unnecessary and expensive risk.

    Until some bright spark decided that submariners in the modern Silent Service should have access to email. Of course, the inevitable happened, someone clicked on a phishing link and ransomware was downloaded..the system operating files were encrypted…and the scammers demanded a ransom of 500,000 Bitcoin for the release code.

    Of course, the MoD denied paying the ransom, however it was decided that one of the Tridents on HMS Vengeance should be tested out of schedule in June 2016, just to make sure. Unfortunately the missile veered off course away from the test range on the US mainland and had to be terminated into the ocean.

    https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/serious-trident-missile-test-failure/

    Apparently the scammers (believed to be N Korean) were contacted by an aggrieved MoD. The response was “Oh, you wanted the warheads fly straight and go off when they hit the target? You didnt say. That will be another 100,000 Bitcoin……”

  9. Shame that the one thing that is largely missing is the aircraft to go on the carriers. When are our governments going to realize that a sufficiently large and capable navy and military give credence to a large economy.

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