► Chess Dynamics launches ChessPlus to maximise defence system availability

03 November2026 – Chess Dynamics, part of the Cohort Group, has launched ChessPlus, a new proactive through-life support framework designed to help defence customers anticipate support requirements before they impact system availability.

Chess Dynamics systems are engineered to deliver reliable capability over long operational lives. ChessPlus builds on this foundation by applying the same long-term thinking to the support surrounding each system, working closely with customers to help them plan for spares, repairs, obsolescence and evolving technical requirements before they become an operational constraint.

ChessPlus will provide support for the entire Chess Dynamics range, including its Hawkeye and SeaEagle product families, as well as systems incorporating Vision4ce real-time video and image processing technology. 

The launch comes as defence organisations are being asked to sustain capability for longer against a backdrop of supply-chain pressure, component obsolescence and extended lead times. The National Audit Office has recently highlighted significant increases in component lead times due to supply chain constraints, citing one example in which semiconductor delivery lead times increased from one to three weeks to more than 50 weeks.

A relatively straightforward support requirement can therefore take significantly longer to resolve if the necessary spares, approvals or technical support have not been anticipated and held in reserve. 

Andy Smith, Managing Director of Chess Dynamics, comments, ‘Our customers invest in our systems because they need dependable capability that will continue to perform for many years. Protecting their investment also means thinking far ahead about how these systems will be supported during their operational lifespans. 

‘The time to identify a component obsolescence issue or future spares requirement isn’t when it begins to affect availability. ChessPlus gives our customers a framework for planning, working in collaboration to anticipate requirements and manage risks earlier, so the capability they have invested in is mission ready when they need it.’ 

This moves the emphasis from traditional after-sales support towards continuing support throughout the system lifecycle. Likely requirements for repairs, spares, technical support and other services can be considered and planned, helping customers improve predictability and reduce delays associated with individual procurement and approval processes. 

ChessPlus formalises and brings together the support activities Chess Dynamics already provides into a single, coordinated framework. Rather than support being commissioned as individual activities when a requirement arises, customers can establish a structured support strategy aligned with how their systems are used and how their operational requirements are expected to evolve. 

Through in-service monitoring, support planning and ongoing obsolescence management, Chess Dynamics can also help identify potential risks to availability earlier and plan appropriate interventions. This includes using Data Recording, Analysis, and Corrective Action System (DRACAS) outputs alongside reliability, availability and maintainability data to model likely demand for spares, repair activity, technical intervention and lifecycle refresh, helping customers understand and plan future support requirements. 

Kevin Conquergood, IPT Lead at Chess Dynamics, comments:  

‘ChessPlus is just as relevant to a new system entering service as it is to equipment that has been operating in the field for a number of years. By bringing together our technical expertise and the different areas of support we provide, we can look ahead in partnership with our customers at what may be required, adapt as circumstances and operational requirements change to give them confidence in how their capability will be supported throughout its operational life.’ 

ChessPlus supports both new systems entering service and Chess Dynamics equipment already in the field. The framework is modular and scalable, allowing support to be tailored to the customer, system and operational requirement. Depending on customer need, this can bring together maintenance planning, spares provisioning, training and training support, technical and field service support, technical documentation, obsolescence management, in-service monitoring, and repairs and overhauls within a coordinated through-life support package.  

ChessPlus helps customers preserve operational availability, manage supportability risk, and continue to realise value from systems designed and engineered for long-term service.