BAE Systems and British shipyards sign aircraft carrier accord

LONDON, Oct 29 (AFP) – 19:15 GMT – The British defence and aerospace group BAE Systems said Tuesday it had signed a cooperation accord with three British shipyards to counter a bid by Thales of France for the construction of two Royal Navy aircraft carriers.
Both countries are understood to be considering joint development of a hybrid Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) able to operate with current and next-generation aircraft.

The agreement signed by BAE Systems, the Swan Hunter shipyard in Newcastle, Vosper Thornycroft in Southhamption and Babcock BES in Rosyth, Scotland, details which work would be carried out by each if they collectively win the contract, worth an estimated four billion euros (3.9 billion dollars).

“This is potentially the deepest level of cooperation in the history of UK warship building,” BAE Systems chief operating officer Chris Geoghegan told a press conference.

Swan Hunter chairman Jaap Kroese said: “BAE is technically a better project. We are on the team against Thales.”

Vosper Thurnycroft chief executive Paul Lester noted that Thales had not approached his group with a comparable offer.

Both BAE Systems and Thales responded to a British ministry of defense tender for an “adaptable” aircraft carrier capable of operations with a wide range of planes.

The Thales project foresees participation by US defense contrators Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, as well as BMT (British Maritime Technologies) Defence Services.

The two proposals feature sloped decks at the bow characteristic of current Royal Navy carriers equipped with short takeoff vertical landingaircraft, as well as catapult systems for launching conventional airborne early warning and control planes.

The catapults would also enable cross-deck interoperability with jets like the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or the seaborne version of France’s Rafale.

BAE Systems says its design would lend itself to the insertion of advanced technologies such as electromagnetic catapults and recovery systems in the future.

Such details reinforce the mooted idea of joint British/French development of a next wave of carriers.

London is expected to decide on the winning bid in late January or early February.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/afp/defense/021029191550.heulswww.html