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.
Any chance stingray will get the glide kit, it’s quite a drop for 30,000ft
No chance which is why the mk 54 is being kept.
No rush guys ….
Is this the famous “TorpedoJ” ?
Night all.
So another contract signed… DIP may not be published, but, contracts are geing signed.
This is good news the stingray mod 1 is a far better torpedo than the Mk54.
AI drones and unmanned surface craft might be the news toys in the box but another 9 P-8’s would go amiss. There is a lot of sea around these islands
I would settle for 3 more P8s, supplemented with 8 Sea Guardians, also with Stingray capability.
As indeed do I 👎 – an Edit function would be nice.
I would go for two more E7 Wedgetail , utilise the additional radiator fits we have already bought. Now that Norway and Germany , plus Canada soon have joined the P8 club I can live with. nine. Three more T31 however would get my vote but all fitted from the off with MK41.
RADAR!
Plus one for our edit function back!
Unfortunately, the two E7 radars, under a tarp in Del Boys lockup, have ( we all suspect) been flogged cheap to the Yanks, for the two prototypes we are building for them.
“Wouldn’t”.
Correct. I did realise but there is no edit function after a comment is posted
I know, It’s so annoying, I do It all the tim 😁
As indeed do I 👎 – an Edit function would be nice.
I wonder why the Mod 2 was not mentioned as being integrated. Perhaps it’s been cancelled by that nice Mr Starmer.
Any talk of future JSM, LRASM or Stratos integration?
Am I reading this r ight? The contract won’t be signed until next year. It will take until 2032 for demonstration and manufacture. Does that mean converting the torpedoes and/or the planes? Then what about 2032 to 2035 for additional manufacture and integration quantities? More torpedoes? More planes? If the latter I suppose that means we don’t intend to convert all the planes by 2032, just some. Then if it works, and we have more money, we may get around to converting the rest.
Then what’s the near doubling in price about? Last year it was going to cost £10.8m, now it’s going to cost £19.2m. What is going on?
Farcical in the extreme. Time frame means more MIC profit.
What a nice Surprise 😏