SEA Commences Combat System Upgrade on Chilean Navy Type 23 Frigates

a
Naval Industry News - UK, Chile
 
 
 
SEA Commences Combat System Upgrade on Chilean Navy Type 23 Frigates
 
The upgrade on the Chilean frigates Almirante Cochrane, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch follows a similar obsolescence upgrade carried out on the UK Royal Navy's 13 Type 23 ships. SEA has a support contract covering the Combat Systems Highway (CSH) for UK Royal Navy frigates and also supports CSHs for various defence Primes.
     
Almirante Lynch Chile SEA Type-23 Frigate Almirante Lynch of the Chilean Navy. Picture: SEA
     
CSH manages data exchange messages, which are a vital and integral feature of the ship’s Combat System, enabling valuable operational assets such as the Combat Management System, surveillance, weapon and sonar systems to communicate in a reliable and deterministic manner.

New open architecture system interfaces will be introduced using standard Ethernet format along with a new Combat System performance monitoring capability. This is hosted on user-friendly touch screen technology and provides clear graphical visualisation of the combat system data exchange activity. Also, a new remote display capability is being provided, enabling distribution of the information to new locations onboard. Much improved offline system performance analysis is also now possible though the introduction of a new data logging capability. The programme is being carried out in preparation for a major revamp of the Chilean Navy ships’ air warfare systems.

The first upgrade will be carried out by SEA, the second ship fit will see Chilean Navy personnel working alongside SEA and work on the third vessel will be handled by the Chileans. All equipment, will be supplied by SEA.

SEA Maritime Business Development Executive Paul Parsons explained: “We will deliver into the Chilean ships the same high quality upgrade that has been fitted on the RN frigates, paving the way for the forthcoming upgrade of the air warfare systems on the Chilean vessels. The programme will be carried out whilst the frigates are alongside in Valparaiso Naval Base and we will be working closely with the Chilean Navy to ensure this programme is completed in early 2017.”