Poseidon UUV Source: Russian MoD Poseidon UUV Source: Russian MoD Close

The Poseidon UUV is under development in Russia designed to carrying a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 2 megatons.

HMS Chiddingfold (M37) Hunt class MCM vessel Source: BAE Systems HMS Chiddingfold (M37) Hunt class MCM vessel Source: BAE Systems Close

At 60m long and 10m wide, the Hunt Class vessels are the largest Glass-Reinforced Plastic vessels in the world and have been in service for over 30 years. All six are base-ported at Portsmouth Naval Base and maintained by BAE Systems teams.

The first phase of HMS Chiddingfold’s upkeep was carried out in the former ship hall facility, which is now the Minor Vessels Centre of Specialisation. It offers engineers 360-degree access to the ship no matter what the weather, cutting down upkeep times and offering the U.K. Ministry of Defence better value for money.

HMS Chiddingfold’s upkeep program included an extensive blasting of her hull, ship’s side and decks to prepare her for repainting. She also received upgrades to many of her systems including firefighting equipment, new fuel tanks, salvage generator and underwater valve replacements. There were also modifications to the electrical systems, and a new galley was installed so that the crew have better on board facilities.

BAE Systems Maritime Services has completed 26 maintenance and upkeep periods on Royal Navy ships in Portsmouth and overseas during 2018.

These works are part of the £600 million Maritime Services Delivery Framework (MSDF) contract awarded to BAE Systems in 2014 to both manage Portsmouth Naval Base and to carry out all the work required to support the Portsmouth flotilla, which represents more than half of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet.

Source: French MoD Source: French MoD Close

Arriving in the operations area at dawn, the soldiers of Picardie BG leapt from their armored vehicle to set up the MMP on top of a ridge. Within the group of six soldiers, each has a definite role: commander, gunner, loader, rear gunner, a radio/marksman and driver.

The MMP is now in place. Sergeant Nicolas and the gunner begin to observe their surroundings, and the terrain appears in detail in the MMP's sight. The operator scans each specific point, using the built-in zoom to refine his search. For Sergeant Nicolas, "the MMP is an exceptional weapon system for observation by day and night. The "fusion" mode detects heat sources and allows us, for example, to detect an individual hiding in a grove or behind a tree."

This new missile is a true digest of electronic innovations: with a range of over 4,000 meters, it can be used both as for anti-personnel and anti-vehicle strikes as well as against fortifications and high-value targets. This is an interesting innovation in the Sahelo-Saharan the theater of operations, where the flanks of some rock formations can be used as shelters by members of armed terrorist groups.

On a technical level, the MMP is easy to use, as the sergeant demonstrated: "To switch from anti-personnel mode to anti-infrastructure mode, I just go to the MMP firing station’s drop-down menu and check the corresponding box. Then, since the system’s core is located in the missile itself, after firing my gunner sees in his sight exactly what the missile seeker sees. He can therefore switch targets at any time, thanks to the optical fiber that connects the missile to his console. The missile is equipped with a camera with vision day and night of a remarkable quality," he adds.

Before their deployment, Sergeant Nicolas and his gunner underwent specific training on the MMP at the French Army’s Infantry School in Draguignan.

A major innovation developed for army infantry and light cavalry units, the MMP is the successor of the MILAN system. Now deployed for the first time on combat operations, it will gradually equip the majority of first-line units.

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