(Europa) The Royal Navy

[Rob]

AMS Achieves Major Sampson Milestone


(Source: Alenia Marconi Systems; issued Sept. 13, 2004)


The first SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar has been installed on the representative Type 45 foremast at the company’s Cowes site. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the project with the radar having completed an extensive test programme in the SAMPSON antenna test facility prior to the installation on the mast. The system will now begin testing on the tower in readiness for commencement of PAAMS integration next year.

Assembly of the second system is complete and it has now commenced test in the antenna test facility.

The milestone is an important demonstration of the progress of the SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar with test results supporting the transition to this last phase of factory integration. Additionally, the installation on the trials mast is in itself a significant de-risk activity for the Type 45 programme and is the result of close liaison between all parties involved in the programme.

Frank Howe, SAMPSON Project Director said, “This is a major achievement for AMS and an important progress milestone for the SAMPSON Multi-Function Radar, PAAMS and Type 45 programmes. Although there is still much to achieve in this exciting and challenging technical programme I am confident that the system will continue to demonstrate performance in line with the requirements placed upon us.”

AMS is a world leader in the provision of Integrated Defence, Paramilitary and Air Traffic mission critical systems, with an established customer base in over 100 countries. AMS has 7,000 employees worldwide, a turnover of some 1.3bn euros and a healthy order book in excess of 3bn euros, which underpins ambitious growth plans for the next four years.

AMS is a major European company in systems’ integration owned by BAE Systems of the UK and Finmeccanica of Italy, with a combined annual turnover of some 27bn euros.


BACKGROUND NOTES:

SAMPSON is the principal sensor on the new Type 45 Destroyer due into service in 2007, and forms part of the PAAMS weapons system.

SAMPSON provides, in a single sensor, the ability to perform surveillance tracking, dedicated tracking and missile uplink, as well as sophisticated anti jamming capability.

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