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MEWSIC strikes the right note as first new electronic warfare system is delivered
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5 February 2025
The first of the Royal Navy’s next-generation electronic warfare systems has rolled off the production line as final fests and upgrades are made.
The Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability – thankfully shortened to MEWSIC (pronounced ‘music’) – will be installed on current and future major surface warships: Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, Type 45 destroyers and the future Type 26/31 frigates.
MEWSIC provides a sensor upgrade to the Navy’s existing EW capability, which is a cornerstone of identifying enemy forces, equipment and movement, directly impacting on planning and the conduct of operations.
The first production model has been set to work at Elbit Systems UK facility while the updated Combat Management System has been delivered to Portsdown Technology Park overlooking Portsmouth to complete the development of the software.
MEWSIC is one half of the overarching upgrade to the Surface Fleet’s electromagnetic warfare capability under the Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP).
The other is a ‘trainable’ launcher for EW decoys to confuse anti-ship missiles, Ancilia, designed and built by SEA (Systems Engineering and Assessment) in Barnstaple.
The £135m system – which will replace Seagnat on existing destroyers and future frigates – swivels rapidly and adjusts the angle the decoy rounds are fired at to maximise their effectiveness, something its predecessor cannot do.
It means there’s no need to manoeuvre the ship to counter the incoming threats: Ancilia will face them directly.
What takes anti-ship missile defence to the next level is the integration of Ancilia with MEWSIC’s Electromagnetic Warfare Command and Control.
It’s a new capability which allows the automatic fusing together of detected electromagnetic emissions with the tactical picture to give the team in the ops room increased situational awareness, helping them to better understand the operational environment and deliver the right countermeasures to the right place at the right time.
For all the tech, some things still need to be done manually – notably loading and re-loading Ancilia with decoy rounds, which falls, as with Seagnat, to a ship’s electronic warfare specialists.
Over three days, they practised doing just – and offered feedback and suggestions to the designers – to make operating the system as simple and effective as possible.
When ready for installation with MEWSIC, two Ancilia systems will be fitted to each Type 26, 31 and 45.