Hydro Group Nets Defence Contract from BAE Systems

Hydro Group plc, a global design and manufacturer of underwater cables and connectors for subsea, underwater, topside and onshore applications, has secured a contract with BAE Systems, valued at approximately £2million, for work to be delivered over the next two years.

Hydro Group has been selected by BAE Systems to design, develop and qualify a range of connectorised through hull penetrators. These connectors are being developed for the Successor programme as a replacement to the Vanguard class fleet of nuclear submarines, which will equip the UK Royal Navy with its long term nuclear deterrent capability.

Graham Wilkie, Hydro Group Sales Director, said: “This contract is a significant step for Hydro Group, and reinforces the company’s 25 year commitment to supporting submarine system requirements. The project will engage a dedicated team of Hydro Group engineers specialised in the design and development of harsh environment underwater connection systems.”

Hydro Group’s cable and connectivity solutions are built to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, including salt water, shock, extreme temperature cycling and vibration. These factors place extreme pressure on the subsea systems, connectors and cables, resulting in the company’s connectors being designed and manufactured for flexibility and environmental endurance.

Malcolm Dare, Supply Chain Director at BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines, said: “Facing strong and established competitors, Hydro Group offered a highly innovative and cost-effective penetrator solution for our project.

“Experience of working within a harsh user environment, combined with fresh ideas saw Hydro Group emerge as favourites from a stringent down-selection process. This complete design and manufacture package will now lead UK submarines well into the next decade.”

Mr Wilkie continued: “The team at Hydro Group is increasingly being asked for complex and challenging designs. Our engineers apply their extensive knowledge and capabilities in materials and applications, developed over 30 years of manufacturing, to provide the highest quality solutions, designed for their environment.”

With an extensive product range, Hydro Group designs, develops and manufactures products from start to finish in Scotland for subsea applications aroundthe globe.

Hydro Group’s Technical Director, Mark Hendry says his team is delighted to be engaged in this demanding project. The technology requirements fit well within the group’s current pioneering R&D program. This includes extending the company’s range of subsea electrical and fibre optic penetrators, connector and cable systems to meet ever more harsh and dynamic environmental factors and operating conditions.

Hydro Group plc, subsea cable systems manufacturer, incorporating Hydro Bond Engineering and Hydro Cable Systems Ltd, is a major global supplier of harsh environmentengineered products to the offshore oil and gas, defence, oceanographic, renewable energies, diving and ROV/AUV markets.

Press Release, August 27, 2014