The operational sustainment of the Royal Navy’s Spearfish and Sting Ray torpedoes, which represent the UK’s underwater striking power, has been secured with a 135 million pound budget under a BAE Systems torpedo contract. The TRAM agreement, signed ahead of the WHITEHEAD2 vision set to begin in 2029, will support a total of 315 skilled jobs across the UK, including 150 direct engineering roles.
The BAE Systems torpedo contract, which covers the period from July 2026 to June 2029, aims to maintain the highest possible state of readiness for the navy’s torpedo systems. Work will be carried out at facilities in Portsmouth, Edinburgh, Chelmsford and Glasgow. The TRAM programme will ensure the maintenance of current systems while laying the groundwork for the transition to the next generation torpedo infrastructure planned for introduction after 2029.
Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard stated that the spending both secures the country’s defence and creates long term local opportunities in high value technical fields.
Continuous At Sea Deterrence and Anti Submarine Warfare Operations
The support package covers the technical sustainment of heavy and lightweight torpedoes currently in use on submarines, surface combatants and maritime patrol aircraft. BAE Systems will ensure that the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Deterrence missions and the security of maritime trade routes continue without interruption, building on the integration support it has provided since 2019.
Rear Admiral Matt Stratton, the Navy’s Director of Maritime Support, and Richard Murray from the National Armaments Directorate emphasised that close cooperation between the navy and industry directly contributes to operational readiness.
Transition to the WHITEHEAD2 Programme After 2029
The three year TRAM support will also serve as a technical transition phase to the WHITEHEAD2 long term torpedo programme planned for introduction from 2029 onwards. The process, led by BAE Systems Naval and Land Defence Solutions Managing Director Scott Jamieson, will prepare the groundwork for the modern torpedo infrastructure needed to counter future underwater threats.
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Source: C4Defence– Royal Navy
