First Sea Lord visits Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems
Cutting edge technology on display.
First Sea Lord visits Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems
PRESS RELEASE
The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, has visited a facility in Portsmouth dedicated to the advancement of maritime technology.
Adm Zambellas visited the Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems (CMIS), in Portsdown Technology Park, to see some of the cutting edge technology focussed on using unmanned boats, underwater vehicles and aircraft in a maritime environment.
The facility brings together specialist teams including, academics, scientists, engineers and naval experts.
With funding from Government, Industry and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, the dedicated research centre is designed to build on the UK’s leading expertise in next-generation maritime intelligent systems, delivering a broad range of solutions such as mine counter measures and long-duration intelligence gathering.
It is a market that could be worth an estimated £9 billion-a-year for the UK economy.
The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, said:
“I was delighted to visit the CMIS. The Royal Navy is pursuing a powerful instinct to exploit maritime autonomous systems, and we have been working with the Defence Growth Partnership for over a year now, in support of the Prime Minister’s initiative to deliver an innovative, competitive and vibrant Defence sector.
“The Centre of Excellence will help to transform not just how we deliver maritime security, but also help invigorate the global market for this new, leading-edge and game-changing technology.”
The CMIS centre is supported by the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) – a joint initiative between Government and Industry to strengthen and grow the UK’s defence sector.
Victor Chavez CBE, chief executive of Thales UK and sponsor of the Intelligent Systems group within the Defence Growth Partnership, said:
“We were delighted to host the First Sea Lord at the centre, which is already making significant progress in exploring the potential impact of cutting-edge technologies on maritime operations. When fully operational, the CMIS will help deliver a paradigm shift in these capabilities both for the UK MOD and our global customers.
“We’re incredibly proud of the facility and the collaborative effort of industry and government that went into making it a reality. We will continue to support its development in order to provide a platform for the UK to shape new markets and become a global leader in this domain.”
