BAE Systems

Project: Submarine Machinery Installation and Test Establishment (SMITE)
Location: Cumbria, UK
Products: Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flowmeters

BAE Systems is a global defence, security and aerospace company which in 2012 generated UK turnover of £8.2 billion with 33,000 employees. Their facility in Barrow-in-Furness is one of only a few shipyards in the world capable of designing and building nuclear submarines and has constructed all but three of those vessels commissioned by the Royal Navy since 1963. SMITE (Submarine Machinery Installation Testing) is a specialist testing facility owned by the MOD and operated by BAE Systems Marine Limited. Its purpose is to test sets of Submarine Main Propulsion Machinery Packages (MPMP) to support the Astute Class Programme of nuclear attack submarines.

In Summer 2019, a final decision was taken to upgrade the facility’s nuclear reactor chilled water metering systems to the current generation of USMs. As the supplier of the previous, highly effective clamp-on ultrasonic meters, ABLE were asked to recommend and supply the new systems. As a result, ABLE has recently received a Ministry of Defence Contract to equip the test facility with 20 off single channel meters and a dual channel submersible portable unit.