Kelvin Hughes to supply radar systems for the Royal Navy’s latest River-class OPVs

Kelvin Hughes announced in April 2015 that it had been selected to supply its SharpEye™ systems for the new Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) - HMS Forth, HMS Medway and HMS Trent.

Today, the company is delighted to announce that it will also be supplying the same industry-leading radar equipment for the two latest Batch 2 ships – HMS Tamar and HMS Spey.

Each ship will be equipped with a SharpEye™ I-Band radar for helicopter control and navigation as well as an E/F-Band SharpEye™ radar for navigation and collision avoidance. In addition, Kelvin Hughes will be supplying its ARPA widescreen radar display for all of the Batch 2 OPVs. The radar sets will be interfaced with each ship’s Combat Management System and other third-party systems such as WECDIS and WAIS.

Fundamentally different in appearance and capabilities from the Batch 1 OPVs, the Batch 2 ships have been designed with a Merlin-capable flight deck and a greatly expanded capacity for accommodating troops. They will be available for deployment anywhere in the world to undertake a range of anti-piracy, counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling roles currently conducted by Royal Navy frigates and destroyers.

With its solid-state technology, SharpEye™ radar systems deliver an advanced pulse-compressed Doppler navigation and situational awareness capability that can provide early warning not only of the presence of larger vessels but also small targets and asymmetric threats with a low Radar Cross Section such as RHIBs, small wooden boats, USVs and jet skis. Operating in the I-Band, the new radar will enable the ships to distinguish between genuine targets and environmental clutter even in the most adverse weather conditions.