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Kelvin Hughes to provide SharpEye radars for U.K. OPVs

By Ryan Maass
Britain's Batch 2 offshore patrol vessels will be equipped with SharpEye I-Band radar for helicopter navigation and E/F-Band radar for collision avoidance. Photo courtesy of BAE Systems
Britain's Batch 2 offshore patrol vessels will be equipped with SharpEye I-Band radar for helicopter navigation and E/F-Band radar for collision avoidance. Photo courtesy of BAE Systems

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Britain's Royal Navy has selected Kelvin Hughes to supply its SharpEye radar systems for its new Batch 2 offshore patrol vessels.

Under the contract, the ships HMS Tamar and HMS Spey will each be equipped with Kelvin Hughes' radar technology. The agreement follows an earlier deal that equipped HMS Forth, HMS Medway and HMS Trent with SharpEye systems.

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SharpEye equipment to be installed includes an I-Band radar for helicopter control and navigation and an E/F-Band Radar to support navigation and collision avoidance. The radars will also include widescreen displays, and will integrate with each ship's Combat Management System.

The radar systems are designed to provide operators with advanced pulse-compressed Doppler navigation and enhanced situational awareness. Kelvin Hughes says its customers are able to use the device to discriminate between their targets and environmental objects on the field.

Britain's offshore patrol vessels are relatively smaller ships used to patrol economic exclusion zones, patrol coastal areas, and support disaster relief efforts. They are also designed to perform counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy roles.

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