Marconi Radar Systems was the Design Authority for the radars (Type 967 surveillance and Type 910 tracker); BAC(GW) were the design authority for the Seawolf missile and its guidance system. The Radar developments were over seen on behalf of the customer MOD(N) by ASWE, and the missile and its guidance system by RAE.
There were obviously a number of critical interfaces between the two separate design authorities which involved sending tracking and guidance information both ways. There were separate mathematical models of both parts (tracker radars and guidance) and regular important exchanges of design information and performance. BAC(GW) were based at Stevenage, and most of the Radar design work was carried out at Gt. Baddow. I was largely responsible for the radar side of the guidance loop interface and John Mullen was my opposite number at BAC Stevenage.
There was also a joint development project for Marconi Radar (Leicester) with their Type 909 tracker and BAC (GW) on the Sea Dart missile). In this case BAC held the prime development contract and sub- contracted the 909 tracker elements to Marconi Radar Leicester. Even before this system (by then known as GWS25 Mod 0) had entered service with the Royal Navy thoughts had already started to turn towards future improvements to cope with changing and more advanced threats. This is how an uprated version of 967, called 967M came in to existence ( Chris Arnold’s team, under Peter Marlow were responsible for the design engineering of the new signal processor). There was also a new up graded tracker design called 910M. This was managed at Baddow by Bill Melville’s GWS25 Project Group, and also had some considerable re-engineering content.
BAC (GW) Division had re-branded itself as B.Ae and relocated most of the naval GW design staff to Filton. Their particular focus was now on a vertically launched version of Seawolf and making a lower priced tracker radar an easier proposition to ship fit. This would open up the export market and allow fitting to ships much smaller than the RN Type 22 and 23 frigates. Unfortunately the 910M tracker was proving to be larger and heavier than its predecessor. The Dutch Company, HollandSignaalapparaten based in Hengelo became very interested in the new B.Ae Tracker requirement and proposed an alternative tracker solution called VM40. This offered some weight and shipfitting advantages over the 910M, but only if some attendant compromises in radar performance over the current RN version could be made acceptable to the end-user. The VM40 radar prototype was tested at R.A.E. Aberporth and produced acceptable results with the Seawolf missile.
Meanwhile Marconi Radar were involved in using technology and hardware from the lightweight 800 series trackers to evolve their own light weight tracker for Seawolf control This was called 805SW and merged up-graded 800 series electro mechanics with repackaged and well - proven electronics and software from 910M. The new aspects of this system were also successfully tested with Seawolf at Aberporth.
In 1979 Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister and MOD procurement policies changed from Cost -Plus contracting to Fixed Price for new major procurements. The MOD now had two competing options to consider - the Dutch VM40 version would be known as GWS25 Mod. 2 and the alternative Marconi Tracker version GWS25 Mod. 3. The Marconi 805SW tracker version became R.N Type 911. A new Operational Requirement was issued against which to assess the competing bids.
For several months Marconi and B.Ae became competitors for prime contractor. This was mostly good natured, but professional, and each side was determined to win. At one point consideration was given to producing a hybrid tracker comprising the best parts of Marconi and Signaal technology. This idea was abandoned largely because MOD(N) were insisting upon two rival bids for the contract. The B.Ae teams were led by John Preston, Sid Smith,Adrian Pollicutt and Brian Aldridge. They were very ably supported by Benno Gellekink from Signaal who was one of their leading tracker radar experts. The Marconi team were headed by Brian Loader with Max Stothard, Tony Edwards, Alan Forwood, Fred Gibney and myself. This type of fixed price competitive tendering was new to the UK Defence industry and also the contractors, who were now carrying all the technical,time and cost risks.
Eventually, after 18 months of competition, the Marconi GWS25 Mod3 solution was declared the winning bid. Marconi Radar was to be the Prime Contractor for the entire system with Marconi Command and Control Systems (Frimley), Marconi Avionics (Basildon), Ferranti Computer Systems (Bracknell) and B.Ae (GW) (Filton) as subcontractors.
The contract started in March 1982 and the first pair of 12 production trackers were delivered in September 1984 to Yarrow shipbuilders for HMS Brave, an RN Type 22 frigate. These ships had aimed Seawolf launchers supplied by Vickers Ship building and Engineering (Barrow).
B.Ae systems were carrying out trials of the new vector thrusted vertical launch Seawolf missile at Aberporth under a separate contract. This system was to be called GWS26 and fitted to new Type 23 frigates. This time B.Ae held the Prime contract and Marconi were subcontracted to supply the slightly modified Type 911(2) production trackers. The BAe. Project Manager for GWS26 was Geoff. Eden. The MOD/RN Project Manager (ADSW) was Captain W. Alexander.
In 1996 a further development study project was awarded to Marconi Radar for a Seawolf system mid life up date. This was aimed at extending the useful service life of the Type 23 frigates with Seawolf, and extended it to yet more challenging threats. By this time an even lighter weight version of the the Seawolf system based on the Marconi 1802SW had been chosen for the Malaysian frigate programme. This was led by Yarrow Shipbuilders with Marconi Radar and B.Ae supplying their respective parts of the system.
In the late 1970’s whilst working for Eric Gildersleve I became involved in a new NATO study contract (NATO 6S) This was headed by B.Ae (Filton) as the international prime contractor. The main radar companies were Marconi Radar, Thomson CSF (France) and AEG Telefunken (Germany) . Instead of a mechanically steered tracker the radar was to use planar array techniques, providing track while scan multiple target tracking. John Frankham led the project on behalf of B.Ae. My involvement in this particular project was later taken over by Mike Lewis who followed it to the end of the study. In the Naval Division of Marconi Radar work built in part on the basis of the 6S studies, was continued via the study and development of EMPAR (European Multi purpose Planar Array Radar). This was a joint programme of work with Alenia (Italy).
Missile development work continued with an international team and involved some further evolution of the French Aster missile. It eventually resulted in development of Sea Ceptor which is the latest missile system to be introduced into RN service.(2018). The new multifunction radarIn use with it provides a wide area multi target defence system Yet another thread of the evolution into today’s operating Naval systems was taking place at Plessey Radar (Cowes). They were developing a multifunction radar with back to back arrays intended for an RN requirement. This system was called SAMSON.Plessey Radar eventually became part of GEC, and were already supplying the Type 996 surveillance radar on the Type 23 frigates. MOD(RN) needed a multi function radar for the new build Type 26 frigates, the Type 45 destroyers and aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The chosen multifunction radar referred to above in conjunction with Sea Ceptor was basically developed from formative work on SAMSON. The EMPAR radar was adopted by the Italian navy and is in service.
The above is a summary of how B.A.E Systems and Marconi Radar complemented and supported each other over many decades in the recent past where they had common interests in providing world class systems to the Royal Navy and successfully opening up export markets. This has not just involved Marconi Radar at Chelmsford, but also Leicester (909/Sea Dart) and with land -based systems with Marconi Command and Control Systems at Frimley (Rapier/DN181).
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