BMT Leads Team to Refresh Warship Hull Vibration Monitoring Equipment

BMT Defence Services Ltd has teamed with Drumgrange Limited to win the Royal Navy HVME (TR) contract, valued at more than £1 million. The contract covers the design, development and production of the Technology Refresh (TR) for the Royal Navy’s Hull Vibration Monitoring Equipment (HVME) system, and was awarded, following a strongly fought competition, by the Marine Electrical Systems (MLS) Integrated Project Team.

HVME is an important system that provides a ship's commander with information to assess, monitor and, where necessary, improve their own platform's radiated noise signature. HVME (TR) will replace existing HVME systems fitted to Royal Navy submarines, frigates and mine countermeasure vessels.

The BMT-led team's winning solution combines BMT's systems design, integration and support skills with Drumgrange's deep sonar and equipment design skills to overcome the operability, supportability and obsolescence issues associated with legacy HVME system.

The timescales for delivering the new HVME (TR) system to the Fleet will be shortened considerably by the choice of system architecture. The team has opted for a COTS-based system design that integrates to existing platform sensor infrastructures and cables. This allows the system to be fitted to vessels during 'Fleet Time', rather than having to wait for planned maintenance periods. The new system also provides a more efficient and effective user interface, making the system more operable under the challenging conditions experienced at sea.

Roger Cooper, Managing Director of BMT Defence Services Ltd, says "This technology refresh programme will provide the Royal Navy with a more user-friendly hull vibration monitoring facility that will deliver the capability the Navy needs at lower through-life cost."