2023 has been an incredible year for Steller Systems and we would like to thank all of our customers, partners and suppliers.
Many of our own designs have become a reality this year. We have developed our designs for an Inflatable Launch and Recovery System and have built and successfully trialled a scale demonstrator. Our work on an innovative Uncrewed Surface/Surface Vessel has continued, with extensive trials conducted over the summer to prove the concept and a significant contract award to develop the full-scale design. Meanwhile we have built and demonstrated a design under the Novel Amphibious Craft competition, and further developed our Inflatable Damage Control System which will save lives.
We have launched HullTune, our Deep Learning tool to optimise ship designs, and have used it to lower build and running costs and drastically reduce emissions for our customers’ designs.
Our teams have met suppliers and customers at numerous events such as CNE and DSEI and have presented at conferences including the UK NEST Artificial Intelligence conference. We have joined new frameworks such as Futures Lab and have helped launch SCUBA – our SME Collaborative Underwater Business Alliance with like-minded SMEs.
We have had an increased focus on skills development for our graduate recruits and have supported them towards chartership, including conducting the UCL Submarines Design Course. We have also provided work experience placements, and were even mentioned in the House of Commons for our support to developing the next generation of engineers.
We have restructured the business around Uncrewed and Underwater Systems, Surface Ships and Misson Systems to better reflect our breadth of capabilities. We have grown the team in both Nailsworth and Hamble, and have tripled the size of our Hamble office to accommodate our expanded team. We have also established a permanent presence at the Defence Battlelab in Winfrith to allow us to be closer to End Users.
2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Steller Systems.
Wishing a very merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of our customers, partners and suppliers.
Last week, Steller Systems’ William Ainsworth, Alex Pardoe and Madeleine Arnold successfully completed open water trials of its Inflatable Launch and Recovery System (ILARS) against the exceptionally scenic backdrops of Gare Loch in Scotland.
The trials were conducted from RNMB Hellcat with the autonomous mine hunting team Wilton. ILARS was used to safely launch and recover an Iver 3 AUV under a range of speeds. Further tests were undertaken to test the towing limits of the ILARS with results surpassing expectations.
ILARS can launch and recover a vast range of marine systems and facilitate increased safety by minimising human interaction during operations. The system significantly reduces the impact on stowage requirements owing to its compact, inflatable design. These latest trials have proven a use case for both typical hull forms and more cylindrical AUVs.
Steller Systems has been awarded a significant contract under the MOD’s Uncrewed Surface Subsurface Vessel (USSV) framework to further develop its WRAITH USSV design for the UK MOD and Royal Marines.
WRAITH will provide significantly enhanced flexibility and capability for maritime forces. This new contract will build on previous MOD-funded work which was contracted to design, build and test a number of scale functioning demonstrators in order to de-risk the technologies and demonstrate the unique Concept of Operations.
Steller Systems’ Deep Learning system, HullTune, has helped our customer to find optimum bulkhead positions allowing 13 bulkheads to be reduced to 11 AND improve stability when damaged compared to the original design.
✅ Reduced design complexity ✅ Save on build costs ✅ Improved damage stability ✅ Improved design and build margins
HullTune by Steller Systems can optimise hull geometries for resistance, intact stability, damage stability, structure, signatures and seakeeping, de-risking designs and making them more efficient to build and operate. For more information, please see here and get in touch to understand how we can help your project.
Steller Systems is proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating our support for the Armed Forces community.
Steller Systems recognises the value that serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country. By signing the covenant we are stating clearly that we strive to be a good employer of the Armed Forces community and that we welcome applicants from it. In doing so we have made a number of firm, public commitments regarding how we provide practical support for veterans, reservists and families.
For more information about joining Steller Systems, please see our careers page.
This week Steller Systems welcomes Sam Adams to the team as Head of Mission Systems. Sam is a former Royal Marine with extensive operational experience as well as experience in technical programme management, leadership and stakeholder engagement at all levels in government and industry.
Sam will be heading up our new Mission Systems sector and will be based in our office in Hamble and at the Defence Battelab in Winfrith. In this role Sam will support our projects in the surface, subsurface and uncrewed sectors including our Uncrewed Surface Subsurface Vessel (USSV) and Landing Craft currently under development.
As a result of some recent major contract awards, Steller Systems is currently recruiting marine engineers and naval architects at all grades located in either Hamble or Gloucestershire. Please see our careers page for details.
Steller Systems will be attending OCEANS 2023, the engineering careers awareness event at Newcastle University on Tuesday 31st October 2023.
Steller Systems is currently recruiting for graduate positions and summer placement students. If you’re currently studying at the University of Newcastle and are interested in joining our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of naval architects and marine engineers, then please visit us in Lindisfarne in the Hadrian Building from 11am to 5pm.
Join them to learn more about opportunities in the naval architecture and marine engineering industry!
This week Steller Systems welcomes Henry Stonehouse to the team. Henry is an accomplished naval architect with over 5 years of experience in vessel design, construction and delivery. Henry’s passion for developing creative design solutions and more efficient ways of working is well suited to Steller Systems with our growing portfolio of innovative vessels and analysis tools.
Henry will be based in our office in Hamble and will be working on a number of projects developing innovative designs for our clients in the surface ship, submarine and uncrewed vessel domains.
Steller Systems continues to grow, with Oliver Streit and Ed Cullum joining the team this week as Graduate Naval Architects. Oliver joins us from Newcastle University where he recently completed a degree in Naval Architecture. Ed joins us having recently completed an MSc in Marine Engineering; Ed also has a first class BSc in Mathematics.
Ed and Oliver will be based in our offices in Hamble and Nailsworth respectively, and will be working on projects spanning the surface ship, submarine and uncrewed vessel domains.
Steller Systems is delighted to be part of SCUBA – the SME Collaborative Underwater Business Alliance – which was launched this week at DSEI 2023 in London.
Our team of like-minded, output-focussed, innovative SMEs, led by our friends at Arke Ltd, covers a broad range of areas including cost modelling, support, systems engineering, cyber security, AI software, manufacture, operation, safety and human factors, as well as naval architecture and marine engineering services provided by Steller Systems.
SCUBA cuts through complexity to arm you with the evidence and advice you need to make good decisions.
