Research group QinetiQ has won a contract from the Ministry of Defence to improve sensor technology for the Royal Navy.

QinetiQ, formerly the Government’s science and technology ideas factory DERA (the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), will be working with partner organisations to improve tactical picture quality to make the job of the command team easier.

The team will be more aware of the situation as it develops, while threats are identified and tracked more reliably.

Sensor tasking, to support better picture quality, will be undertaken by the AIMMS (Advanced Integration Management and Maritime Sensors) programme.

Phase One of the AIMMS contract, focussing on the development and testing of the techniques and algorithms to be used, is worth some £5 million and will cover a three-year period.

Phase Two will see the results of Phase One being put into practice on a Type 23 frigate – the laboratory-based work being tested on a specially-adapted warship acting as a platform demonstrator.

This applied research programme is intended for use in both existing and future Royal Navy surface warships.

Greg Lamb, the Director of QinetiQ’s Above Water Battlespace business, said: “We have designed this programme of work from the outset to allow rapid pull-through of the research into operational use in the Fleet.”

QinetiQ will work closely with their principal teaming partner AMS, who will provide the expertise in design and production of naval command systems and sensors.

Other members of the AIMMS team working with QinetiQ are Lockheed Martin UK Integrated Systems, Agusta Westland Helicopters Ltd, BAE Systems Avionics Ltd, ASA and EDS Defence Ltd.