Royal Navy’s £850m Sea Ceptor missile system comes online

The new Sea Ceptor missile system has passed a series of firing tests and will enter full service with the Royal Navy later this year.

Designed and manufactured by MBDA, Sea Ceptor is a 99kg, 3.2m long missile capable of supersonic speeds around Mach 3 (1,020m/s). It will be deployed on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates and later on the Type 26 frigates when they come into service in the mid-2020s. The £850m system is capable of engaging multiple targets including enemy jets, helicopters and other missiles. It was developed to replace the existing Sea Wolf missile and will form part of the defence shield for the new Queen Elizabeth class carriers.

“Sea Ceptor’s entry into service with the Royal Navy is a significant milestone, a massive achievement for everyone involved and a proud moment for the team,” said Richard Smart, weapons director for the MOD’s procurement organisation Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).