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£40M sonobuoys contract for Royal Navy’s Merlin force
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2 February 2026
The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter force will be boosted by a £40m contract to provide sonobuoys.
The deal between the Ministry of Defence and Ultra Maritime will significantly strengthen the UK’s undersea surveillance and deterrence posture at a time when British waters are under increasing threat from foreign actors.
Sonobuoys are the frontline sensors of the UK’s anti-submarine warfare network, and give the Royal Navy the ability to detect, track and deter hostile submarines and other underwater vessels.
Based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, the Royal Navy’s Merlin Helicopter Force is a leader in anti-submarine warfare, continually deployed on the frontline with its Merlin Mk2 aircraft to defend UK waters and international defence interests.
Helicopter flights regularly deploy from 814 Naval Air Squadron to Royal Navy frigates, Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships or the navy’s forward operating base at Prestwick in Scotland. Sister unit 824 Naval Air Squadron is also held at high readiness to respond to any threats identified within UK waters.
Captain James Hall, the commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, said: “Our anti-submarine capability is essential to protect Royal Navy submarines and the UK’s nuclear deterrent. The capability offered using sonobuoys forms an essential part of the toolkit used to identify, track and deter submarine threats.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that Merlin Helicopter Force - combining its aircraft, its sensors and equipment, and the crews’ extensive tactical training – is a world leader in anti-submarine warfare.
“Central to this capability is the tactical use of sonobuoys which our aircraft can deploy in-flight. The Merlin carries a dipping sonar which, in combination with sonobuoys, creates an acoustic network to hunt for and track adversary submarines. Ultimately, the Merlin can be armed with Sting Ray torpedoes to eliminate that threat if necessary.
“We face an increasingly uncertain and contested world, which includes ever evolving threats to our critical undersea national infrastructure. Our control of the subsurface maritime environment is a key pillar of the Royal Navy’s ability to confront global threats and ensure operational success as we defend the nation.”
Alongside the new contract which covers design, development, engineering and manufacturing, Ultra Maritime has made significant investments in its UK footprint and recently expanded its London manufacturing facility, creating new high-skilled jobs and strengthening the industrial base that supports both the Royal Navy, NATO and Allied partners.
Ultra Maritime is also working with the MoD on miniaturised sonobuoys for uncrewed air systems, expanding the UK’s future undersea surveillance reach and accelerating the transition to next-generation autonomous ASW systems.