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7 May 2008
QinetiQ has signed an initial 11 month contract with the MoD as part of a £2m pilot study which will see a new joint UK MOD/industry naval ship design office established in Bristol, to be tasked with the design of complex naval ships for the Royal Navy, such as the Future Surface Combatant.
The Naval Design Partnership (NDP), with its 'rainbow team' of talent, which includes Thales, BAE Systems, VT Group, Babcock and BMT, will allow greater innovation and pull-though of new technology and will manage the translation of maritime capability requirements into warship product specifications. It will also enable MoD to reinforce in house Naval Architecture and related specialisms through a collaborative design approach.
"We are delighted that our maritime team will be contributing to the future of naval ship design, which is fundamentally important to the future naval capability of this country," said Neville Salkeld, Managing Director of QinetiQ's Consulting sector. "The Maritime Industrial Strategy (MIS) identified a need for the UK to sustain the ability to design complex naval vessels, from concept to the point of build, so in consultation with industry, the Frigates Integrated Project Team (FIPT), on behalf of DG Ships, has defined the requirements for the NDP."
The NDP team will be collocated at QinetiQ's Bristol office, close to MoD Abbey Wood, under the leadership of a MoD Chief Engineer. The dedicated facilities can accommodate up to 25 people, drawn from the best that UK industry and MoD currently have to offer.
The team will be initially tasked with a series of concept studies to develop the high level product specification for the Future Surface Combatant (FSC) C1 programme with the objective of ensuring that it successfully clears Initial Gate in late 2008. It is envisaged that this output may be further extended to address other future FSC platforms and be adapted to provide appropriate designs for any future vessel classes that may be required.
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