Raytheon UK wins contract in $1.3B Royal Navy modernization plan

Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Raytheon UK won a $200 million contract to improve the Royal Navy's training, it announced on Wednesday, part of a $1.3 billion transformation of the nation's navy.

The British subsidiary of the U.S. company will "provide the Royal Navy with transformative technology, training and learning solutions over the next 12 years," a Raytheon statement said.

Led by the London-based outsourcing and professional services company Capita LLC, a consortium of companies will transform and modernize the Royal Navy's shore-based training at 16 sites across Britain.

The contract with Capita was announced in December. Raytheon, Elbit Systems UK and Fujitsu are also among the suppliers, according to British officials.

Raytheon UK will "play a key role in modernizing and transforming the Royal Navy's training analysis, design, delivery, assurance, and management/support services, helping to make the UK Armed Forces more agile and adaptable than ever to tackle future challenges," the company said in a press release.

Modernization of the British military has been a key element in recent national policy.

Defense Minister Ben Wallace noted on Monday that an "integrated review that we will publish in 2021 will make the most of new technologies, improve integration across the domains and demonstrate that we remain the international partner of choice."

An example is Britain's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the first of which was commissioned in 2017 and capable of carrying helicopters and F-35 fighter planes.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently undergoing testing in advance of its first deployment with a carrier strike group of destroyers, cruisers and other vessels.