UK MoD, Thales Announce £1.8B MSET Contract for AI-Enhanced Maritime Operations

The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a £1.8 billion, 15-year contract with Thales, merging AI technology with maritime operations to fortify Royal Navy (RN) ship availability.

The Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team (MSET) contract aims to reshape naval support by employing AI innovations and data management to predict and prevent issues before they arise.

MSET's flexible service model is designed to provide stability and comprehensive support during the transition period. The Royal Navy will introduce new platforms like Type 26, Type 31, and Dreadnought, coupled with the integration of autonomous systems.

Over the contract's duration, anticipated improvements include a reduction of 100 days per repair in Turn Around Times, a 44-day decrease in spares lead times, and a 10% enhancement in reliability.

Driven by data-driven decision-making, MSET represents a leap into a more proactive and predictive maintenance regime. Significant investments will improve facilities at HMNB Devonport, Faslane, Portsmouth, and Bahrain, creating advanced test and repair capabilities to support RN operations.

The contract aims to foster innovation and create a tech-savvy workforce. With 450 high-skilled jobs across the UK, apprenticeships in local communities, and a threefold increase in supply chain spend supporting an additional 1,200 staff, the MSET contract aims to contribute to economic and technological growth.

The £1.8 billion, 15-year contract is set to commence on January 1, 2024. Thales will make significant investments in infrastructure, technological innovation, waterfront facilities, digital systems, and new support. The contract will protect 300 current staff and create an additional 150 roles across the country, including locations like Glasgow (104 roles), Crawley (46 roles), Templecombe/Cheadle (300 roles).

The contract covers ships and submarines such as T23, T45, Sandown, Hunts, A, V, and T Class Submarines, supporting 18 equipment types and approximately 10,000 Line Replaceable Units.

Once established, the enhanced MSET service will extend similar levels of service and availability to new platforms using Thales sensors and systems, including the Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program, Type 26, Type 31, and Dreadnought, benefiting from the enhanced waterfront premises.