MCS fulfils two distinct roles: It delivers Sonar and Electronic Warfare equipment to all RN ships and submarines; it also delivers Combat Management Systems (the computing behind the main fighting technology) and the associated Systems Integration and Safety Management to the surface fleet. The first role is delivered through Equipment Teams, whilst the second is delivered by an equipment team and group of engineers who make up the Surface Ship Combat Systems Group (SSCSG). The SSCSG has a sister organisation in the Submarines area of DE&S called the Submarines Combat Systems Group. The two groups work closely together aiming to minimise cost by aligning equipment and facilities that support the front line.
The key challenges for MCS are working with industry to drive the evolution of combat systems across all surface platforms. Combat Systems provide the fighting element of a warship or submarine. As commercial technology overtakes military systems, the challenge changes from maintaining hardware systems to one of keeping costs down on software systems and how to minimise the costs of integrating the various weapon and sensor systems together. This will help deliver the Defence Vision for 2020. On a day-to-day basis ensuring the safety of complex, real-time systems that make up the Combat System in a modern warship dominates our work.
During the next year MCS will be expanded slightly, taking on roles and equipment management currently undertaken in our sister teams in the Ships area of DE&S. This will enable us to tackle the downsizing challenge faced by Defence by centralizing our equipment and system engineers and providing a single focus for industry on Combat System matters – regardless of which surface ship it is in.
Page updated 15 August 2011