Yahoo Finance Leonardo lands £260m deal to fit 'friend or foe' ID systems to British vehicles
British jet fighters, helicopters, warships and missile systems will be fitted with advanced identification systems under a major contract awarded to defence group Leonardo’s UK business.
The £260m deal will see them equipped with “identification Friend or Foe” (IFF) systems that allow British forces to quickly work out which ships and planes are hostile and react accordingly.
Called Mode-5 IFF, the encrypted system allows UK forces to work safely together and also with NATO allies, reducing the risk of friendly fire incidents. It also gives commanders a better overview of the battlefield, increasing their effectiveness.
IFF works by sending automated “challenge and response” signals, with equipment on friendly planes and ships able to receive and instantly decode the encrypted challenge message, then send the appropriate response to identify themselves.
The deal - which will see the equipment fitted to more than 350 units including the Navy’s Type 45 destroyers, the RAF’s Sentry airborne radar jets and Typhoons, as well as the Chinook helicopters and the Army’s Starstreak missile vehicles - will support about 150 jobs at Leonardo’s Luton base and plants in the UK.
Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: “This contract for battle-winning technology builds on decades of operational experience to keep UK pilots, soldiers and sailors safe on operations.”
“It is yet another example of the jobs and skills-sustaining impact of the Government’s £178bn equipment plan to supply the UK’s armed forces with the best possible kit.”
