Radio - BAE Systems

BAE’S Astute Decision

Staff at BAE Systems massive Devonshire Dock Hall complex are enjoying improved coverage from an new electro-magnetically friendly radio system designed and implemented by Pennine Telecom.

Astute is the name given to the state-of-the-art submarines built by BAE Systems– it also sums up the decision taken by the premier global defence and aerospace company when choosing Pennine to upgrade its radio system. 

But the choice of Pennine did not come out of the blue for Gordon Carruthers, Principle Instrument Engineer at the company’s impressive Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. “We went with Pennine because we’d dealt with them quite a lot and they always gave us both good information and good service. We did get an estimate from other telecoms companies but they simply didn’t seem as professional as Pennine,” says Mr. Carruthers.

The solution was required for implementation at BAE Systems’ Devonshire Dock Hall, a magnificent 25,000sq.m, 51 metre high facility where the new Astute class submarine is built by highly skilled engineers.  Not only is the site immense, it’s filled with sophisticated equipment that is sensitive to electromagnetic interference which is used both within submarines and as part of the construction process. This creates issues regarding vital radio communications between staff as Mr. Carruthers explains. “We needed not just a UHF solution to give us better coverage but a low power system to meet our Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) regulations. “

Designed and implemented by Pennine it involved installing a six channel Zetron trunking system to host a radio network using the compact and versatile Motorola GP680 and GP688R portable handsets.  The GP688R hand portable radio is from the
submersible range of radios and is designed to protect against water and dust intrusion.  A further ten Motorola GM680 fixed mobiles were supplied for locations within the huge hall where mains-powered units were required for desk-working or high volume use. Plans are also afoot to link the Devonshire Dock Hall network to the trunked system previously installed by Pennine across the wider works at Barrow.

The system has proven highly effective offering full coverage across the huge facility and enabling one-to-one, group and inter-departmental calls. “It does what we want it to do,” comments Mr. Carruthers. “Whilst the guys are busy working they may need to contact their supervisors, maybe to call for some spare parts, so this is a useful tool that has improved both communication and productivity.”