The Royal Navy has rolled out the first in a series of enhanced electronic warfare systems, known as the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC), for installation on current and future warships, according to a press release.
MEWSIC is described as “a sensor upgrade to the Navy’s existing EW capability, which is a cornerstone of identifying enemy forces, equipment and movement” in the press release. It will be fitted to the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, Type 45 destroyers, and the new Type 26/31 frigates.
The first production model is now undergoing final checks at Elbit Systems UK in Bristol, while its updated Combat Management System is being tested at Portsdown Technology Park near Portsmouth.
This development is part of the broader Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP), which also includes Ancilia, a trainable launcher for electronic warfare decoys intended to “confuse anti-ship missiles.”
Ancilia can swivel to “face threats directly,” removing the need to manoeuvre a ship to counter incoming missiles. It replaces the Seagnat system on older vessels and is set for installation on the Royal Navy’s newest warships.
The integration of MEWSIC with Ancilia’s electromagnetic warfare features is expected to “give the team in the ops room increased situational awareness,” according to the press release. Despite its advanced automation, some manual tasks remain, such as reloading decoy rounds—an aspect tested by Royal Navy electronic warfare specialists, who also provided feedback on improving the system’s design.
Both MEWSIC and Ancilia are slated to boost the Fleet’s capacity to detect and respond to a range of threats, as the Royal Navy seeks to enhance readiness and resilience in an increasingly complex maritime environment.
EW and soft kill is so very important in any integrated air defence system.
Indeed.
I think the acronym MEWSIC needs a bit of work. The ships cat wouldn’t be happy…..
It does sound a bit like a cat vomiting..good call
It’s nice to know that it’s going to be fitted to the QE carrier. Now, can we get Martlets on it and other defensive equipment?
Sea Ceptor can engage small boats too….
They won’t put CAMM on the carriers, sadly. MBDA’s Martlet (LMM) is cheaper, not to mention that a cluster can be put on a 30mm bushmaster and works with the Thales and KNDS to work on multipurpose and modular launching systems. Also, if they are working with MBDA, we could see a Brimstone module on the launcher. I would like to see MK4 Bofors on the carriers, we can dream.
The Sea Ceptor argument is about two things:-
Firstly, can other escorts provide an umbrella; and
Secondly, can we afford to develop a horizontal launch variant for two ships?
As the answer to – [1] is yes then the cost of [2] won’t be engaged with unless there is a sudden influx of funds.
ATM stopping cutting the fleet to turn the budgetary corner is the RN priority.
Money has to be sunk into recruitment and retention as well as the new platforms.
The old days of buying something and then the team on board gets to with a soldering iron are long gone. The joys of software defined systems.
The French manage to have VLS cells for Aster on their carrier, couldn’t a small cluster of Camm be added to QE, it can be soft launched at a slight angle so issues with risk to the flight deck should be able to be managed?
How?
You would need to develop and test a variant if CAMM for non vertical launch.
It isn’t so simple as tilting the launcher tube.
Before you say Harpoon and NSM are angled I’d get in they were designed like that from the start.
The forces are eccentric in a non vertical launch – think what happens if the ship heels hard as the missile is emerging. It has to be safely guided out.
So yes, you can do this and I think we should.
But it won’t happen until the money fairy visits or until the Tangerine One [aka The Donald] makes us increase defence spending. If he does that I would think he had done something useful.
Maybe the “Gravehawk” can be adapted for ship launch? Add it on when you need it.
There are better ways with the carrier, CAMM is very much part of the outer screen, there is really no need for a 25km+ missile on a carrier.
What it’s really missing is very effective inner ring defence against mass attack. Personally I would like to see them fitted with 57mm-76mm guns with a good guided smart round..essentially providing a very solid organic inner ring defence out to about 10km, as well as 40mm guns for close in defence.
The development of very good smart rounds really means that missiles are now more optimal for area defence and the sub optimal choice for inner defence.
Martlets are fitted to Wildcats, and Wildcats carried on the carriers.
Yes, a bit of rework for 2x 4-6 Starstreak/LMM or hybrid mix with decoys like Safran have just done with one of their launchers shown in Janes recently. It could evolve into a landbased Rapier type system, smaller and lighter than CAMM but bigger than the current 2×2 and 2×4 vehicle based systems.
I know it’s mentioned here but let’s hope it definitely gets on the Carriers and also the RFA ships
Thales already make the RapidRanger system for Martlet and Starstreak, I can’t see any reason why we couldn’t fit it to the carrier. As a bonus, it’s easily reloadable at sea where larger systems aren’t.
Are they also keeping the fixed position dischargers?
Once again feel the need to mention the RFA vessels are being left out here. We out of all countries with modern navy’s learned the hard way how utterly vulnerable and deadly support ships are in modern wars; MV Atlantic Conveyor sunk, RFA Sir Galahad sunk, RFA Sir Tristram damaged, RFA Sir Lancelot damaged, RFA Sir Bedivere damaged and British Wye hit but undamaged. We’ve got brand new support and landing ships on the way along with a moderate fleet of current liquid stores and support ships with no new equipment and very, very small pool of Phalanxes, 30mm mounts and fixed countermeasures launchers to go between them. The rest of the navy moves along with MK-4 Bofors and modern systems like this yet there’s nothing new or being invested in for the increasingly vital, and increasingly vulnerable RFA.
I agree. I assumed that this would be fleet wide, but reading the article again it seems I was wrong.
Previous announcements were fleet wide.
The T23 debacle and the nuclear ring fence are really strangling RN.
That and the fix outgoing costs on 13 new frigates and systems that *must* be delivered before the final T23s fall to bits.
They really have their hand in the budgetary mangle for which we can thank the hollowing out of G Brown and Blair fighting constant wars in peace budgets and G Osbourne putting the boot in…
Brown and Blair fighting constant wars in peace budgets and G Osbourne putting the boot in…
That sums it up.
Unfortunately there are lots of assumptions of what the RFA can and will do, but they don’t have the level of resources and self defence fit of a war canoe. You might be able to defend them as part of the task group, how are they defended on passage independently. You need the food, fuel, spares, weapons from your supply chain. Any smart enemy would want to attack the supply line in any battle, preferably without going toe to toe with T23 / T45. Just read a few history book to learn the mistakes over previous centuries!
Just make a slightly bigger Ancila trainable launcher that can hold 4 to 6 CAMMs, make sure the launcher has some depression limitations (so the CAMM tip-over mechanism doesn’t orient the missile directly down for very low targets before its engine fires) and voila, a compact CAMM launcher for the Royal Navy carriers and other smaller ships! Surely someone at the Navy or Ministry of Defence has thought of this?
The ESSM missile can be fired vertically via quad canister in a Mk 41 VLS, OR it can be singly fired horizontally from the latest Mk 29 horizontal launchers on US carriers, so having the same missile be fired in two different ways is absolutely possible. Yes, the Mk 29 launchers were upgraded specifically to fire RIM-162 ESSM in order to replace the older RIM-7 Sea Sparrow. Raytheon put out a press sheet advertising this fact, it’s titled “MK 29 SEASPARROW Guided Missile Launching System With ESSM Upgrade”. Naval Technology and Sea Forces also have this information if you search for it online.
Obviously the stresses on the missile in a trainable launcher would be different to a vertical launcher system, so you’d need to test it thoroughly, but the in-service Mk 29 horizontal launchers, and the vertical Mk 41 launchers for the RIM-162 ESSM show it’s very do-able.
Its still beyond me why every nation with a carrier has some decent defence on it ? Whereas our most expensive single unit Naval asset has to rely on another asset for protection? I mean surely there is redundant space on these massive vessels with a footprint to enable at least Sea Ceptor ( 4 x 4 launcher ) It’s another annoying waste of all our hard earned tax payers money .Also why should we be delighted that the Type 26 has mission bays , humanitarian module spaces , drug interception capabilities..? Who cares ..I want a fighting warship ..?! You now one of those vessels that scare the crap out of an enemy.BTW we found plenty of Sterling to pay chuck wagons & crappy little profitless cafes during COVID ! I love how we seem to laugh at Russian Naval surface assets….I wouldn’t bet on any of our surface vessels in a slug out even with an old project 956 Sovremenny. We only made the type 23 a very capable ship due to the outrage of the Falklands naval fiasco. Without USA & French help we are a joke ..Are we also serious about parking our few P-8 Poseidon aircraft at 1 northern airbase ? Spread them out …Leuchars has a runway – fuel capacity.Prestwick is good enough to support C-5 / C17 when transferring USA weapons to Israel .? Can’t we park 1 each at Fairfield .Mildenhall ,Lake heath ,RAF Valley & even civilian airports as a dispersal ? Always backwards thinking from a country that once solved military conundrums for other nations . AJAX .? Challenger 3 ? BOXER ..it’s not just naval planning !? It’s the absolute waste of our money on half baked project & fancy systems spread out like cheap jam
Big step for the Royal Navy! The introduction of this latest generation electronic warfare system demonstrates a commitment to innovation and maritime security. This technology not only enhances defense capabilities, but also ensures readiness to face modern threats. Hopefully this system will bring great benefits to future operations!. visit us website University Telkom Jakarta
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