Extension Programme (SLEP) was investigated, as were buying or leasing foreign warships .... by Kelvin Hughes. The IBNS
FS57B
SHIP STRATEGY: THE POTENTIAL MARKET FOR SHIPBUILDERS AND SUBCONTRACTORS IN COMING YEARS
OUTLINE This paper sets out to identity the potential domestic market for military shipbuilders in coming years. By summarising material available in the public domain on present/future shipbuilding contracts in the defence sector. The paper is sourced wherever possible.
The RAND Corporation has been asked by the Ministry of Defence to investigate whether the UK has enough shipyards and skilled workers to supply the series of contracted ships for the Royal Navy. The announcement was made as part of a one year review of the Defence Industrial Policy between the MoD and Department of Trade and Industry amongst concerns that the new ships to be built (including the Type 45 Destroyers, the future aircraft carriers MARS and the Astute submarine programme) will overwhelm the capacities of British shipbuilding especially in the period 2007-2012. There are strong indications that two yards face very low order books in the period 2005-2007 but their capacity will be required thereafter if all future warships are to be built in British yards.
The paper covers the following projects: NEW BUILD • • • • • • • • • • •
Type 45 air defence destroyer Future Surface Combatant Military afloat reach and sustainability (MARS) Maritime Aviation Capability Joint Casualty Treatment Ship Future mine countermeasures Inshore boats Astute class submarine Maritime underwater future capability Fast lift concept NATO submarine tender
REFITS • • •
Surface warships – Warship support modernisation initiative Invincible class carriers – SLEP S & T class submarine update
NEW BUILDS Type 45 air defence destroyer Procurement •
The Prime Contractor is BAE Systems Electronics, who took over Marconi Electronic Systems (the prime contractor for Horizon). There is a large pullthrough from the Horizon work into Type 45, for example PAAMS and some internal architecture.
•
Originally Class of up to 12 ships. Cost of construction of the 12 ships is approx. £6Bn.
•
The DPA has placed an order for six T45s at an expected cost of £4.3 billion.
•
Demonstration, first of class manufacturer of Vessels (DFM) contract for first three ships valued at £1.2Bn .
•
In Service Date of First of Class 2007.
•
Main Gate Approval July 2000, DFM contract let December 2000.
Shipbuilding •
Design and construction of the six ships is to be split between BAE Systems and VT. Overall project management is the responsibility of BAE Systems.
•
July 2001 & February 2002: announced that six ships would now be ordered and that the DFM contract with BAE Systems Electronics had been amended from three to six platforms, 3 years earlier than planned.
•
It was also announced that the Prime Contractor had agreed and signed subcontracts with BAE Systems Marine and VT for construction and outfitting work on the first six ships.
•
The work is expected to sustain about 2,000 jobs on the Clyde, 900 at Barrow-in-Furness, and 650 at VT.
•
The first of the Type 45s, HMS Daring, will be assembled and launched at Scotstoun, and the Design Centre will remain there for the whole programme. For HMS Daring, VT will build and outfit the forward section of the ship, masts and funnels. These sections will be taken to Scotstoun for final assembly. BAE Systems Marine at Govan will produce all other steelwork which will be transferred to Scotstoun for building, assembly and launch.
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•
The shipbuilding strategy announced in July 2001appears below.
This schedule was changed on 21 January 2003 with the substitution of the BAE Sea Systems Clyde (Scotstoun) yard for Barrow. •
BAE Systems confirmed on 21 January 20031 that the final assembly of all Type 45's would now be done at Scotstoun. The change resulted because of the occupation of facilities by the delayed Astute Class submarines; the ongoing difficulty of scheduling both Astute and Type 45 assembly in the Devonshire Hall; the poor track record of Barrow on surface ship construction; the logic of the yard concentrating just on submarines; and the economies resulting from consolidating all BAE's Type 45 work on the Clyde.
•
The construction approach will see a modular block system in which different parts of the vessels could be built by different yards before being brought together for construction.
•
After the first-of-class ship, VT will still build the same sections as for Daring, but outfit them to a much greater extent before shipping to Scotstoun. All
1
http://www.baesystems.com/newsroom/2003/jan/210103news1.htm
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other Type 45 steelwork will now be supplied by just Govan. Scotstoun will assemble Block A (the stern block, including steering gear stores and accommodation) and Block D (the heart of the ship including the Operations Room and the Bridge).
•
Steel working began on HMS Daring on 28 March 2003 at BAE's Scotstoun (formerly Yarrow) shipyard. The steel is actually being cut across the river at BAE's Govan yard and will be shipped to Yarrow for assembly starting Autumn 2003. Daring will enter service in 2007,
•
The second, HMS Dauntless, will enter service in 2008. The third, HMS Diamond will enter service in 2010, HMS Dragon in 2011, and Defender and Duncan in 2012.
•
For all ships of the class after HMS Daring a similar construction approach will be used (VT building and outfitting the forward section of the ship, masts and funnels).
•
Stage one ship performance trials will be done at Scotstoun and stage two combat system performance trials will be done at VT in Portsmouth.
•
Uncertainty remains over whether a final three will be ordered; the MoD's Equipment Plan 2003 does not include them and a final decision was expected in the Autumn 2003 Defence White Paper2, but is now likely to be announced in mid to late 2004. Recent prospects of a cut in the defence budget threaten to cut the projected number of Type 45s from 12 to 8.3
Systems •
A joint team of BAE Systems Combat and Radar Systems and Alenia Marconi Systems will supply the combat management system (CMS) and fast ethernet data transfer system for the T45s.
2
The Defence White Paper: Delivering Security in a Changing World, December 2003, was more a presentation of the policy base-line for future defence decisions. 3 See ‘UK Minister hints at defence cuts’, available at http://www.janes.com/business/news/jdw/jdw031027_1_n.shtml.
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•
Thales Communications Ltd are leading the team, which includes BAE Systems Avionics, which will provide the Fully Integrated Communications System (FICS).
•
Astrium (a joint venture of EADS and BAE Systems) has been awarded a contract to provide SCOT 3 satellite communications systems.
•
Raytheon Systems Ltd will supply the integrated navigation system.
•
Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) Marine Systems with Rockwell Automation will provide the platform management system.
•
Alenia Marconi Systems will provide the METOC (Meteorological and Oceanographic) system.
•
The primary weapon system, the Principal Anti-Aircraft Missile System (PAAMS) - a tri-national programme involving France, Italy and the UK - has entered the full-scale engineering development and initial production phase. The prime contractor is Europaams SAS, a joint-venture company owned two thirds by Eurosam (MBDA and Thales), and one third by the UKAMS subsidiary of MBDA. The missile contract was placed the Organisme Conjoint De Cooperation En Matiere D'Armament on the 13 November 2003. The total value of the contract - which includes missile systems for France and Italy is £2.8bn. The UK contribution, for the purchase of the missiles themselves, is £278m. UKAMS are the prime contractors for the UK requirement.
•
The UK PAAMS has the BAE Systems Sampson multi-function, dual-face active array radar operating at E/F bands.
•
Alenia Marconi Systems, teamed with Radamec Defence Systems will provide the Electro-optical Gunfire Control System (EOGCS).
•
Wide-area long-range search is provided by the Alenia Marconi Systems S1850M radar operating at D-band, an enhanced version of the Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) SMART-L.
•
Raytheon Systems Ltd will supply the Identification Friend or Foe system.
•
Ultra Electronics (with EDO Corporation of the USA) has been selected to provide the Type 45's Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) system.
•
Thales Sensors (formerly Racal Defence) will supply the Type 45's radar band electronic support measures (RESM) system.
•
The vessels will have the Royal Navy's Outfit DLH active naval offboard decoy system from BAE Systems.
•
The Type 45 will be powered by two WR-21 advanced cycle gas turbine engines with intercooler and recuperator (ICR) heat exchangers. The engines
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will be built by a team led by Rolls-Royce and Northrop Grumman. Alsthom Power Conversion Ltd will provide other elements of the power and propulsion system, including the electric propulsion motors. Other •
BMT Defence Services, in collaboration with Quintec Associates Ltd. and Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd., has been awarded the Type 45 Destroyer Specialist Technical Support Contract by the MoD Type 45 Destroyer Integrated Project Team (IPT).
Sources Beedall, Richard provides an in depth overview of all available sources in, Type 45. Parts of his article are reproduced here. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/9452/index1.htm.
http://www.mod.uk/dpa/ipt/Type45.htm http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/horizon/index.html
Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) Procurement •
Teams led by British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) which had teamed with Marconi Electronic Systems, and Thomson-CSF (now Thales) which had teamed with BMT Defence Services Ltd and Raytheon, responded in May 1999 to the Invitations to Tender for an Assessment Phase (AP).
•
Firm price contracts for the AP were awarded to both teams in November 1999, each worth £30 million. BAE subsequently merged with Marconi, and Lockheed Martin joined the Thales Naval Ltd team in February 2000.
•
The four year AP intended to place an order with a single Prime Contractor for delivery of the first of the two vessels in 2012 (in service date for the second vessel is 2015). The first AP stage was completed in June 2001. Stage 2 considered contractor views on the level of work needed to de-risk the programme sufficiently.
•
The requirement to have the first carrier in service by 20124 means that production has to begin around early 2006 at latest. To achieve sufficient design maturity it was decided to award the Demonstration and Manufacture
4
There has been a slight slippage, and ISD for the first CVF is now likely to be 2014.
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contract in Spring 2004, meaning that the Main Gate would be no later than the turn of 2003/2004. •
The ‘Future Carrier Alliance’ was formed, led by BAE Systems as the prime contractor with responsibility for project and ship building management. Thales assumed the major role as key supplier of the whole ship design. The MoD will provide necessary assets such as trained manpower and JSF aircraft, and manage appropriate risk contingencies.
•
The third stage of the AP has seen contracts totalling around £50 million in value being placed with BAE Systems and Thales UK in September 2003. The aim is to increase the maturity of the CVF design, optimise capability and value for money and reduce risks, paving way for a fully costed proposal for the Demonstration and Manufacture of the two carriers by late 2003.
•
AP3 will be completed by March 2004. The MoD’s business decision on CVF will be in 2004 and, assuming positive, the D&M contract will be awarded in Spring 2004.
•
COST: In June 2003, BAE Systems informed the MoD that the D&M Phase would cost £3.8bn compared with the budgeted £2.8Bn, making the total project cost for the two aircraft carriers £4bn.
•
With this cost increase, the Chief of Defence Procurement ordered an urgent review of the CVF project. The Future Carrier Alliance undertook a 'quicklook' study into a smaller and less sophisticated design which, while retaining provision for catapults and arrestor gear, would have a reduced air group.
•
During the summer of 2003, several options were considered because of cost overruns: -
Option 1 Two large adaptable carriers. Continuing with the current 60,000+ tonnes design but subjecting it to a ruthless cost-benefit analysis and a paring away of non-essential features and capabilities without reducing size.
-
Option 2 Two smaller ‘optimised’ carriers. In order to further save costs and try to get with in budget the CVF design is shrunk to the minimum practical size (about 50,000 tonnes displacement) needed to retain ‘adaptability’ and still meet most other key requirements.
-
Option 3 Two smaller STOVL-only carriers of 40,000-45,000 tonnes displacement. The future proofing ‘adaptability’ is
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dropped to allow a further reduction in size and cost. This is effectively a final fallback option. -
Option 4 One large adaptable carrier. Just one large 'adaptable' carrier is ordered, and greater co-ordination is sought with the French to help fill the gaps when she's not available.
•
Option 4 was ruled out by the RN and MoD. Any move to shrink the ships (Option 2 or 3) would reduce their effectiveness. Full RAF support for both the CVF concept and the use of RAF aircraft and personnel for naval operations became crucial if Option 1 was to be viable, but this support was not forthcoming.
•
During August/September 2003 a decision was apparently made in favour of option 2, and by October 2003 it appeared that a decision had been made to reduce the size of CVF from the original 290 metres in length to 265 metres5. This will reduce the amount of build work by about 20%, but a formal decision on the size, design and cost of the CVF's has now officially been deferred to completion of AP3 in early 2004.
Shipbuilding •
The Commons Defence Select Committee6 concluded that the main problem related to building the CVF's was of securing sufficient labour capacity in the shipyards at that time7, and that there were very few issues relating to facilities other than that of modernisation.
•
The carrier alliance required a joint construction approach, combining BAE’s multiple shipyard modular construction approach and Thales’ “superblock’ approach.8 Press releases at the end of January 2003 stated that the ships will be designed and built entirely in the UK, and indicate that shipyards at Babcock BES at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth, BAE Systems on the Clyde (both its Govan and Scotstoun shipyards), Swan Hunter on the Teeside and Tyneside and VT Group at Portsmouth will play a key role. The four yards will be allocated specific ship sections, but it is understood that half the value of
5
The new ‘optimised’ length is the minimum required for the fitting of catapults, but favours the STOVL option. STOVL aircraft have greater flexibility than CTOL aircraft, can operate in worse weather conditions and have a higher launch rate. 6 Defence Select Committee, Warship Building Strategies, Fourth Report, July 2002, Session 2001-02. 7 The CVF contract is expected to create about 2,000 jobs and to secure a further 10,000 at UK shipyards. 8 A modular construction approach has been chosen because there are no longer any UK shipyards with the capacity, facilities, and requisite design and construction skills for a project of this size.
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the contracts they receive will be subcontracted by competition. The final assembly and hook-up will be done by Babcock BES at Rosyth using the modules supplied by BAE Systems, Swan Hunter and VT Group. Other shipyards have not been ruled out completely, but there seems little opportunity left for any substantial work. •
VT has been assisting both BAES and Thales in their initial ship studies and is keen to contribute its design, construction and support expertise to the programme. VT would carry out construction of blocks at its new state-of-the-art Portsmouth Shipbuilding Facility (PSF). This is likely to necessitate future expansion of the facility. In a similar build strategy to the Type 45 destroyer, the sections of the CVF built by VT would be transported by barge for subsequent assembly in Scotland. With the ships being base ported in Portsmouth, VT’s joint venture Fleet Support Limited (FSL) is also ideally placed to play a significant role in their longterm support.
•
The first steel cut is to be in 2005.
Design •
Design will ensure maximum flexibility for a service life of up to 50 years. Design will be for STOVL but optimised for future conversion for CTOL.
Aircraft •
The STOVL variant of the US JSF has been chosen to succeed the Harrier from 2012. The MoD is providing 10% of the cost of the STOVL concept demonstration phase of the JSF programme.
MASC •
The Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC) programme is currently in the Concept Phase, with an Initial Gate decision planned for 2003, followed by a Main Gate decision in 2006. An in-service date of 2012 is planned for the AEW aircraft selected.
Propulsion •
The carrier's propulsion system will be Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) based on four gas turbines; Nuclear propulsion was deemed too expensive. The optimum location, not yet decided, will maximise the hangar space below decks. CVF range will be 8,000 miles.
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Subcontracts & Prime Contractor Team at January 2003 •
BAE Systems Future Carrier Office - Prime Contractor, design authority.
•
AMS - C4ISR, Information Systems and Systems Engineering.
•
Babcock BES - Ship Build Strategy (including final ship assembly) and Collaborative Through Life Support.
•
BAE Systems - C4ISR, Collaborative Through Life Support.
•
BAE Systems Sea Systems Group - Ship Design and Build Strategy.
•
EDS - Systems Integration.
•
Fleet Support Ltd - Collaborative Through Life Support.
•
Lockheed Martin - Program Management, Systems and Requirements Engineering, Carrier Air Group Optimization, C4ISR.
•
Northrop Grumman - Mission Planning, Air Traffic Control, Ship Build Strategy, C4ISR.
•
QinetiQ - Technology Insertion and Test & Evaluation Programmes.
•
Rolls-Royce - Propulsion and Through-Life Support.
•
Strachan & Henshaw - Munitions Handling and Waste Management.
•
Swan Hunter - Ship Build Strategy.
•
VT (Vosper Thornycroft) Shipbuilding - Naval Architecture, Ship Build Strategy, Human Factors, Through Life Support, Control Systems.
•
Thales Naval Ltd - provision of whole ship design, and a "key supplier"; and partner.
•
BMT Defence Systems - naval architects.
Sources Baghaei, Ali: ‘Innovating to bring the best out of both teams’, Excellence in Defence Procurement, 2003.
Beedall, Richard provides an in depth overview of all available sources in, The Future Aircraft Carrier. Parts of his article are reproduced here. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/9452/index1.htm.
http://www.mod.uk/dpa/ipt/CVF.htm http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvf/index.html http://www.thales.com/ http://www.baesystems.com/
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Future Surface Combatant Future Surface Combatant (FSC) – Replacement for T22 & T23 Frigates •
SDR recast the 1994 Future Escort programme as the FSC.
•
FSC is currently in the Concept Phase. Prime Contractor selection is estimated in 2007. Initial Gate is not anticipated until Spring 2004 and Main Gate an optimistic late 2008. The ISD of the first unit into service has slipped to December 2015 or later. The number of units planned has been reduced from 20 to 18.
•
October 2001 - Delays resulted examination of options for an Interim Capability Frigate to bridge the gap between the out-of-service date for Type 23s (2013) and the introduction of the FSC in late 2015. A T23 Ship Life Extension Programme (SLEP) was investigated, as were buying or leasing foreign warships, new build frigates based on the T45 hull, and advancing FSC. As of July 2003, pay-off without replacement and ad-hoc measures to extend the service life of the T23's seem to be the selected solution.
•
A draft document of User Requirements for FSC was circulated in early 2003. Further refinement has continued through September 2003 with the goal of making the resulting User Requirements Document the baseline for the beginning of formal acquisition (Initial Gate) in early 2004. A four-year AP will lead up to a submission for Main Gate approval in late 2008. This will be followed by the Demonstration and Manufacture Phase, currently scheduled to meet a tentative ISD for planning purposes of December 2015.
•
A final decision on the FSC hull configuration was originally expected to be taken in 2002, but this has slipped to 2005. By this time the demonstrator vessel RV Triton should have fully proven whether a trimaran solution does indeed give the advantages that its supporters advocate, at an acceptable risk.
•
The FSC programme remains poorly defined and it will not become a top RN priority until the new CVF aircraft carriers are firmly on order (scheduled for Spring 2004) and USN's direction towards future warships is clear.
Trimaran Hull Design •
One design option for the FSC is the trimaran hull concept with a slender main hull and two outriggers.
•
Work by QinetiQ (formerly DERA), UCL and VT has confirmed that a trimaran hull form does reduce drag by about 20 percent at high speeds compared to a
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single hull. The lower resistance will permit higher speeds to be achieved, or a reduced machinery fit leading to lower through-life costs. •
Research Vessel Triton: Launched as a demonstrator model in July 1998, designed by the UK's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (now QinetiQ) and built by VT under contract (£13m contract from DERA). Constructed to examine the costs and risks to structural integrity associated with a novel trimaran hull solution. RV Triton is under authority of QinetiQ for trials.
•
The first phase of the trials began in October 2000 and will last until mid 2003. The second phase of the trials, which will be carried out from 2003 to 2004, emphasises the installation and trials of high technology systems.
•
The third phase involves the Trimaran becoming a general trials ship. The ship will be used as a testbed for a range of naval systems
It is still not certain that a trimaran hull will be selected rather than a more traditional mono-hull design. Alternative: Alternative Platform (Type 45 derivative) •
BAE Systems prefer a monohull design for FSC.
•
It is being investigated whether the large Type 45 hull design may form a suitable basis for the FSC, with its role changed from an emphasis on area air defence to land-attack, ASuW and ASW.
Alternative: Mother Ship Design •
In March 2003 BMT Defence Services Ltd was awarded a quick study contract by the MoD to explore the feasibility of 'mother/ daughter' ship concepts as a potential solution for the FSC capability requirement.
•
BMT DSL will lead a team including University College London and BM Consulting for the Concept Design for Heavy Lift Mother-ships for the DPA.
•
BMT's Future Fast Flexible Frigate (F5): In August 2003 BMT DSL and BMTowned Nigel Gee and Associates (NGA) unveiled a pentamaran frigate matched to the notional requirements for the FSC.
•
The F5 frigate synthesis work by BMT DSL and NGA has drawn on the latter's earlier commercial pentamaran design studies.
Design & Systems •
The FSC design will almost certainly use a new full electric propulsion system (IFEP) that is also being developed for the CVF.
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•
Missiles - Possible fits are 24 Raytheon Tomahawk Block IV (TacTom) or MBDA SCALP Naval for LACM; 32 Europaams Aster 15 for SAM; 8 McDonnell Douglas Harpoon Block II for SSM; 2 x 11 Raytheon Sea RAM for ILMS.
•
Radars – Possibly the Alenia Marconi Systems S1850Mfor the Long Range Air/Surface Search; the BAE Systems Sampson Smartello MFR for Dband Surveillance & PAAMS Fire Control; the Racal Decca Type 1008 E/F band Navigation.
•
Sonar - Either the Ferranti/Thomson Sintra Type 2050 or a new bow-mounted active search and attack system; the Thomson-Marconi Type 2087 active low-frequency towed body with a VLF passive array.
•
Aircraft - Large flight and hanger for 2 Westland Lynx HMA.8, or 2 x EH101 Merlin, or 2 x V-22 Osprey, or Unmanned Air Vehicles. (Stingray ASW torpedoes and Sea Skua ASuM missiles).
Sources Beedall, Richard provides an in depth overview of all available sources in, The Future Surface Combatant. Parts of his article are reproduced here. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/9452/index1.htm.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/trimaran/index.html
Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) •
The MARS IPT, formed in July 2002, is conducting studies into the capability required to provide logistic support to Royal Navy vessels at sea. The initial focus will be on the ability to Replenish At Sea (RAS).
•
The project is still in the Concept phase and has now started to engage with industry. MARS could provide orders for between eight and twelve ships over the next 15 years.
MARS shipbuilding & ownership •
There is currently a debate over hull ownership for future MARS vessels. Possible alternatives are a Public Private Partnership scheme, the use of sponsored reserves, or the hulls being owned and operated/crewed by the RFA.
•
One option for construction is to build the hulls abroad and to then complete the high value fitting out work in the UK. Construction of the hulls will be
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subject to European procurement rules unless they are considered to be warships. •
Such a construction option would be similar to the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) Strategic Sealift ship programme. As the requirement was non-warlike, competition for the RoRo contract was conducted under EC Treaty and public procurement rules. Four companies bid for the contract: NOVOMAR, The Maersk Company, A.W.S.R. Shipping Ltd, and Sealion.
•
On 26 October 2000 it was announced that A.W.S.R. Shipping Ltd had been selected as the preferred bidder for the 25-year RoRo PFI contract9. Under their plan, two ships were to be built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast and four ships at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Germany. This would provide earlier availability.
•
June
2003:
The
MoD
took
delivery
of
its
Strategic
Sealift
service 20 months ahead of its target date, following delivery of the final RoRo cargo vessel to the contractor. •
AWSR Shipping Ltd is responsible for the provision of the crews, operation and maintenance of the RoRo ships. When in MoD use, AWSR must provide completely British officer and merchant seaman crews for the ships, and after a phase in period these seafarers will be eligible for call out as Sponsored Reserves for operational requirements.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) single-hulled vessels •
The formation of MARS is partly the result of a need to replace the presently operated ageing single-hulled vessels of the RFA.
•
MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973 and the Protocol of 1978) provides for the phased introduction of double-hulled tankers.
•
The RFA has nine single hull oil transporters10, and the MoD’s current target date for replacing the fleet with double hull tankers is not until 2010. 11
•
If the RFA were to observe the single hull phase out, three of their smaller tankers, with International Maritime Organisation category two status, would have to be abandoned in 2004. A further six category one tankers would be replaced by 2005.
9
The contract will be worth approximately £950M over 25 years (until December 2024), depending upon the amount of operational usage. 10 Approximately 30 single hull vessels overall. 11 …although such planning is subject to change according to changes in public opinion.
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•
A MARS defence review of the Royal Navy’s future requirements is in its initial stages, and plans are to gradually bring in double hulled vessels to replace the ageing flotilla. The first such compliant vessels, the Auxiliary Oilers RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler, entered service in 2003 and are the most modern ships.
•
There is preliminary consideration for a SLEP for the present Wave Class Tankers to increase their capacity without changes to any propulsion or main systems. The aim would be to fit them within then scope of MARS thinking. SLEP is being considered because the ministerial exemption from EU regulations regarding single-hulled vessels until 2010 is a date before which MARS ships would be available.
Wave Class RFA Large Tankers •
BAE Systems was awarded a £200 million contract for the construction of RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler in 1997. Wave Knight was built in Barrow-in-Furness, launched in September 2000 and transferred to Inchgreen, Greenock, under her own power in September 2001. Contractor's sea trials took place in the Firth of Clyde and she was accepted off contract in October 2002. Wave Knight was commissioned in March 2003
•
RFA Wave Ruler was built at BAE's Govan yard. Wave Ruler was launched in February 2001 and commissioned in April 2003.
•
The project is being managed by the Auxiliary Oiler IPT.
•
The 30,000t large fleet tankers replace the Olna and Olwen, built at Swan Hunter and Hawthorn Leslie in the1960s.
•
The tankers may be deployed away from the UK for the complete period of its docking cycle, which at present is every 2.5 years.
•
In Spring 2001 it emerged that BAE Systems had placed an unsolicited bid with the MoD to build a further two Wave Class tankers. This speculative tendering seems to result from the fact the BAE is struggling to provide enough work to keep its three yards at Govan, Barrow and Scotstoun afloat. Reportedly, Govan is not in a position to begin cutting steel for the two Bay Class Landing Ships and, with only a tug (being built for Stirling Offshore ) and ten small landing craft (for service with Albion Class Assault Ships) under construction, has extra shipbuilding capacity. BAE believe that experience gained in the construction of Wave Knight and Wave Ruler will allow significant savings to be made in the construction of additional vessels. However the MoD have indicated they are unlikely to accept the bid because
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of the cost overruns and claims on the MoD from the present Wave Class Tankers. Capability of Wave Class Tankers •
The ships have the capacity to transport 616,000m³ of issuable cargo fuel which has a minimum flash point temperature of 60°C .
•
The RASCON RAS equipment is supplied by Rolls-Royce (Clarke Chapman). The package of abeam and astern re-fuelling systems includes the RAS system, an ammunition handling crane specially fitted out for abeam refuelling,
steering
gear
and
rudder
packages,
thyristor-controlled
winch/windlasses and double drum mooring winches. •
The ship, equipped with onboard reverse osmosis equipment, has the capacity to manufacture 100³ of potable water per day, and is capable of carrying and delivering 380m³ of potable water. The ships can also transport and deliver other fluids in bulk tanks and in barrels.
•
The dry cargo capacity is 500m³ together with space, access and power for eight 20ft refrigerated container units.
•
The ship is armed with two 30mm cannon and can be fitted with two Raytheon Phalanx Mk 15 close-in weapon systems (CIWS). The ship will be fitted with air/surface search and navigation radars.
•
The tanker is capable of supporting the Merlin helicopter and is capable of operating a Merlin-sized helicopter in high seas up to Sea State 6.
•
The ship is equipped with an Integrated Bridge Navigation System (IBNS), supplied by Kelvin Hughes. The IBNS has a Digital Programmable Primary Internal Communications System (DPPICS) and an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) including: machinery control and surveillance, damage surveillance and control, electrical power control and management and refuelling at Sea/Cargo Ballast Control (RASCON) functions.
•
The communications suite covers a very wide band, MF/HF and V/UHF, with external military and civil communications and a civil satellite communications system (SATCOM).
•
The ship's diesel-electric propulsion system is based on a 14MW ALSTOM variable speed, bi-directional AC electric drive motor, controlled by a CEGELEC synchro-converter. Four generators, supplied by ALSTOM and each providing 4.69MW, are driven by Wartsila V12 VASA32 (Lox Nox) diesel engines. The engines drive a single fixed pitch propeller and shaft. The ship is
16 of 35
equipped with an 18t thrust electric bow thruster and a 12t thrust electric stern thruster. The ship's auxiliary diesel engine provides 1.6MW. •
The ships propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 18 knots and a minimum sustainable speed of 4 knots for up to 12 hours, without detriment to the machinery. The range exceeds 8000 nautical miles.
Sources http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/wave/index.html
Maritime Aviation Training Capability (MATC) •
MATC is presently an open forum for debate. Assuming that funding is available, the first stage of concept studies will begin in 2004 and continue through 2005.
•
MATC could be a ship or simulator, or a combination of both. There is a significant question over the appropriateness of using an Argus replacement for training helicopter pilots. Some question its operational utility, since helicopters will actually be landing on warships that are less visible and probably smaller – a simulator able to imitate operational conditions may a better alternative, or a land based landing strip capable of mimicking operational, at sea conditions.
•
The concept studies phase will examine both extremes; simulation potential using a mobile platform with current ship assets, or a fixed platform.
•
Methods of funding will also be examined during this concept studies phase. There is a possibility of a PFI solution and/or the formation of an IPT. At present MATC falls under the auspices of the Future Business Group (FBG).
•
MATC is intended to replace the aviation training role of RFA Argus, which underwent a difficult and expensive four year conversion (from 1984) worth £50 million at Harland and Wolff in Belfast that saw her rebuilt as an Aviation Training Vessel. The rebuild involved the sealing of her bow doors and the building
of
a
large
forward
superstructure,
which
included
extra
accommodation. A flight deck was constructed and strengthened with a concrete underside 5ft thick. Two aircraft lifts were included to provide access to four hanger spaces beneath the flight deck, each of which can be secured with watertight doors Sources Interview with Tony Friday of FBG, 21 November 2003.
17 of 35
Operational Maintenance and Repair (OMAR) •
A suggested replacement for RFA Diligence, OMAR is presently a debate in its infancy under the auspices of the FBG.
•
OMAR is presently aspirational and has no funded line.
•
As a replacement for RFA Diligence, current thinking on the role of OMAR is on first stage repair.
•
First stage repair will aim to keep frontline ships operational, and focuses on maintenance and low scale repairs. OMAR is not envisioned to fulfil any salvage role.
•
A concept studies phase, which should begin when OMAR receives funding, will determine funding options for OMAR and the construction approach.
•
Presently two areas of construction are being focused on; a hull and/or modular approach. Possible alternatives at this stage include a combination of both approaches, two small hulls to enable concurrency or one dedicated platform.
Sources Interview with Tony Friday of FBG, 21 November 2003.
Joint Casualty Treatment Ship This facility has had a number of names in the past such as Primary Casualty Receiving Capability Procurement •
SDR called for the upgrading of the 100-bed surgical facility aboard the Aviation Training Ship RFA Argus and ‘the procurement of a 200-bed Primary Casualty Receiving Ship, with a second one available on contract at longer notice if required’ by 2005.
•
The notice envisaged for this second vessel was a year, and early work indicated that simply chartering a hull when needed for conversion would be no less effective than having a specific vessel under contract with a view to conversion. The project is therefore based on developing one facility, which is now referred to as JCTS (Joint Casualty Treatment Ship).
•
The IPT was formed in 1999 to undertake the Concept Phase during which the requirement was refined using OA, a User Requirement Document was generated and the procurement strategy was determined.
18 of 35
•
Stage I of the Assessment Phase to identify practicable technical concepts began in December 2001 immediately after Initial Gate Approval.
•
A contract was let with BMT DSL to first generate a generic hospital layout, as a baseline for considering how such a facility might be deployed afloat.
•
A contract was let in July 2003 for support to the completion of the System Requirement Document (SRD), which will occupy much of the IPT’s effort over the next twelve months.
•
In August 2003 Atkins Aviation and Defence Systems won a contract to develop a detailed SRD following on from earlier assessment activities exploring generic platform and medical complex options.
•
Current plans envisage the issue of Invitations to Tender for the design and construction of the ship in mid 2005. Down selection is planned for 2006.
•
The ISD for JCTS will not be set until a contract is let for its development and manufacture, as this will depend on the technical approach adopted. However, the planning assumption is towards the end of the decade.
•
RFA Argus was refitted during 2000-01 under the direction of a different IPT, and is currently scheduled to remain in-service in her medical role until JCTS enters service.
Funding •
Early thinking envisaged a PFI solution, with a service-provider making use of spare capacity to generate third-party revenue. However, studies have demonstrated that there would be no genuine likelihood of risk transfer, nor could third party revenue be generated from non-governmental sources. The MoD has considered use of the civilian Hospital Ship Africa Mercy. However, her facilities and capacity fall short of the MoD's requirements.
•
The project is therefore proceeding as a conventional procurement, although investigations are continuing into using spare capacity once JCTS is inservice to generate third party revenue.
Other JCTS Roles •
As guaranteed peacetime usage of JCTS is limited to some eight weeks training per year, consideration has been given to using an existing naval ship and making it capable of taking a modular hospital when required. It has been determined that no vessel would be available and such a solution has been found to be high risk.
19 of 35
•
Consideration is still being given to combining JCTS with another capability, such as the forward deployment of aviation.
Sources http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/jcts.htm http://www.mod.uk/dpa/ipt/jcts.htm
Future Mine Countermeasures – a replacement for the Hunt Class •
The DPA issued an invitation to tender for the Assessment Phase of the Royal Navy's projected Replacement Influence Minesweeping System (RIMS) programme in January 2001.
•
RIMS proceeded to Initial Gate approval in April 2001, with two parallel 24month Assessment Phase contracts being awarded in June 2001. A competitive bid evaluation should then determine the selection of a sole prime contractor to proceed into the Demonstration and Manufacture phase.
•
Main Gate approval was received in June 2003, with an in-service date of October 2007 currently planned. The RIMS budget is put at about £150 million.
•
The initial assumption, based on present sweeping capability and the operational flexibility offered by the new equipment, is that the RN will require four RIMS to replace the current 13-ship Combined Influence Sweep (CIS) capability.
•
Concept Studies will be managed by the Project team with DERA and Industry involvement.
•
RIMS is intended to replace the CIS capability currently provided by the Huntclass mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV). RIMS will be required to operate in mine setting, target setting and mine neutralisation modes. The system should have the capacity to be upgraded by technology insertion to counter future threats.
•
It is understood that Germany's Troika is representative of the baseline performance level which the RN wishes to improve on.
•
Among the additional capabilities required is control of up to four drones. It is likely that the study will note proposals put forward under the NATO NIMS and US ALISS programmes, the UK having lately been allowed to take part in the
US
DoD's
Joint
Countermine
20 of 35
Advanced
Concepts
Technology
Demonstration (ACTD). The RIMS staff requirement should have been defined in 2000, enabling production systems to start delivery in 2005. Sources http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/rims.htm Inshore Boats – Minor Warships, Auxiliaries and Boats IPT Motorised Canoes •
Contact placed for the requirement of up to approximately 20 motorised canoes suitable for inshore waters and for use with 15hp OBM.
Safety/Training Boat •
Safety/Training Boat for use by Naval Cadet Force Units. Requirement for 10 per annum. ITT Mid 2003.
5.4M Petrol RIB •
GRP RIB for use by the RN and Defence Police. For the RN diesel propulsion would be preferable. ITT expected mid/late 2003, requirement for approximately 5 per annum. It is suggested that 70% of the number required are for the RN role.
Inflatable Boats •
Tenders for the next generation of up to 70 Inflatable Boats for the RN and RM are currently being assessed by the Minor Warship, Auxiliaries and Boat (MWAB) Integrated Project Team.
Offshore Raiding Craft •
Hard-hulled raiding craft with high load capacity, for use by RM to deploy troops onto shore from ships. Requirements currently met by RC Mk3 (diesel/propeller drive). A larger craft with water-jet is the likely replacement requirement. ITT is expected mid/late 2003, with a requirement for 6 – 8 per annum.
Diesel RIB (SOLAS ‘Fast Rescue Boat’ / Ships’ Seaboats) •
Requirement currently met by PACIFIC 22 RIB for lager RN sips. A contract has been placed for a new design craft to be evaluated for selected ships, with an approximate requirement of 12 – 14 per annum.
21 of 35
6.5M/7.0M Petrol RIB •
RM high speed boarding boat. Requirement currently met by ARCTIC 22 RIB. Future requirements are under review, and may result in more than one variant being required.
Type 45 Seaboat – Diesel RIB •
New design sea-boat for Type 45 Destroyers. Higher performance and capacity required compared to existing RN Seaboats – waterjet propulsion may be required. Requirement for approx. 15 with an initial order of 1 boat for extensive evaluation prior to production order. ITT mid 2004.
14M Army Workboat •
Workboat capable of being deployed from ships to support amphibious landing operations. Requirement currently met by steel workboat fitted with single diesel engines. ITT late 2003, 4 required.
Police launch •
Patrol launch for year-round operations in UK and Gibraltar waters. User requirements under review – possible mixed fleet required. ITT late 2003, with an initial order of 1 boat with options for up to 8 additional craft.
Sail Training Craft •
Replacement for Nicholson 55 STC for operations up to MCA ‘Category 1’ – smaller craft likely to be suitable. Requirement for up to 4. Funding priorities presently under review.
Pacific seaboat •
The Royal Navy's latest high-powered seaboat, the Pacific class, are £80,000 vessels
optimised
for
boarding
operations.
Equipped
with
special
communications and GPS receivers the boats have been developed by the MWAB IPT and Halmatic Ltd. In service support •
VT Integrated Logistics has secured an enabling contract to survey and repair nearly 1,000 Royal Navy small craft based throughout the UK. VT Integrated Logistics has carried out a similar activity in the South and South West for the past six years, with the work being undertaken by VT Halmatic at Portchester and the VT Marine Services facility at Sandquay, Dartmouth. Under the new
22 of 35
contract, VT is offering this service nationally and will have responsibility for performing a similar activity in Scotland where it has entered into a partnering arrangement with Silvers Marine Ltd., Helensburgh. The £5m. p.a. contract covers MoD Power Boats up to 16 metres in length and applies to 28 different types of craft. VT Integrated Logistics ability to offer the service on a basis of integrated national cover along with value for money were two key factors in securing the contract. •
A feature of the contract could involve expanding facilities at Sandquay to include a new slipway and dry dock. This would improve VT Marine Services ability to bid for more commercial boat maintenance and repair such as RNLI lifeboats and HM Customs and Excise craft.
Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Vessels •
VT Integrated Logistics has introduced a sponsored reserve scheme to enhance its 25-year Contractor Logistics Support commitment to the new oceanographic and hydrographic survey ships Echo and Enterprise.
•
The sponsored reserves will offer valuable on-board support to the existing VT Contractor Logistic Support engineers who provide a 24-hour service.
•
The support service will operate worldwide and the VT team will work closely with the MWAB IPT. It will cover all aspects of support for the ships including; maintenance
support,
spare
parts
supply
and
delivery,
technical
documentation and specialist training. Sources MWAB IPT Seawork Exhibition presentation to industry, June 2003. Contact: Allan Tyler. http://www.vtplc.com/
Astute Class Submarine Procurement •
The order for the first three Astute units (with an option for a further two) was placed with GEC-Marconi (now part of BAE Systems) on 17 March 1997 and the value of the contract was put at £2 billion, including a Swiftsure and Trafalgar Final Phase Integration Task and Contractor Logistic Support (CLS) for the first 4.5 years from the ISD. The contract is incentivised through a
23 of 35
shareline arrangement which allows the company and MoD to share cost under/over-runs up to a maximum price. •
The total programme cost of the first three units was expected to be £2,698m12. On 19 February 2003 it was announced that, in the face of disastrous cost overruns, the government had agreed to increase its funding to BAE Systems by around £430m, while BAE would also contribute (or writeoff) £250m.
•
Under the terms of the renegotiated contract, the Design and Development phase of the programme is now separated from the Production phase. Design and Development will be completed under new Target Cost Incentive Fee (TCIF) arrangements.
•
BAE Systems and the MoD have established new Target Costs and Fee levels for the programme.
•
Including government supplied equipment (e.g. sonars and the Tomahawk control system), the out-turn cost of the first three Astutes now seems set to reach £4 billion.
Shipbuilding •
The Prime Contractor (BAE Systems Electronics Ltd – Astute Class Project) is responsible for the design and build of the vessels and provision of all equipment,
including
the
combat
system,
demonstrating
functional
performance, and supporting the submarine during an initial period of inservice life. •
The boats are actually being built at the BAE Systems Marine (VSEL) shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. First steel for HMS Astute was cut in November 1999 but the keel (actually the first hull section) was not formally laid down until 31 January 2001.
•
Fabrication of the second submarine HMS Ambush started in August 2001, although progress was slow because of the design problems being experienced Astute, and her ceremonial lay down had still not been announced before the suspension of all fabrication work in February 2003. Work on the third boat, Artful, was due to commence in 2003, but will now be delayed until 2006.
•
It had been anticipated that an order for a further three Astute class submarines would be placed in late 2002 at an estimated cost of £1.7bn, but
12
Major Projects Report 2001, November 2001.
24 of 35
this order has now been delayed indefinitely13 and their cost will be reassessed. •
Programme Problems: BAE Systems was making slower progress in the detailed design and build up of production than had been anticipated, and the approved ISD of June 2005 could not be achieved.
•
November 2002: The Astute programme was in severe difficulties and the MoD informed BAE Systems the Second Buy order would not be placed until project problems had been rectified to a satisfactory level.
•
On 19 February 2003 the MoD and BAE Systems announced that all construction has been halted while design issues are resolved, and the first submarine will not enter service until at least 2008 (three years later than planned). The cost of the Astute submarine programme - already running at over £2.5bn - was also to rise by almost £700m.
Design •
In March 2003 it was announced that the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division would provide design assistance and also reinforce BAE's Astute team. An agreement finalised in April 2003 will see up to 10 designers and engineers assigned to BAE Systems' Barrow-in-Furness shipyard for two years. A number of American engineers and designers from EB will also be familiarised on BAE Systems' computer-aided design system and produce initial output drawings. When they return to Groton USA, these employees will assist in familiarizing the main body of EB designers with BAE Systems' design system and methods.
•
On 23 October 2003 General Dynamics EB announced that it had received a $23 million contract modification which brings the total value of the work to $52.7 million. Under the contract, EB will provide the resources required to complete drawing outputs to support the production program of the Astuteclass submarines. 90% of the work will be performed in Groton, USA; the remainder will be done in Barrow-in-Furness.
Training •
A 30-year contract, worth about £300 million, to train crewmen for the Astute class submarines was awarded by the MoD in September 2001 to the UKbased FAST consortium. The FAST consortium is composed of AMS (a joint
13
Probably until 2010,, a date viable if the decision is made to run the RN's SSN force down to 7 boats as proposed in the MoD's draft Equipment Plan 2003. Otherwise Main Gate seems likely in 2005.
25 of 35
venture company owned by BAE Systems and Finmeccanica Spa of Italy), CAE Inc of Canada and Flagship (a joint venture company owned by BAE Systems, Vosper Thornycroft and Johnson Controls of the US). •
In light of the slippage, a submission for re-approval of ACTS via a Review Note was expected in early 2003. Should further Astute class boats be ordered, the ACTS contract could be extended to run for 40 years.
Subcontracts and subcontract opportunities •
BAE has personnel co-located at sub-contractor locations, or vice versa.
•
It is suggested that ALSTOM can provide a solution, from initial design to installation, commissioning and through life support, for electrical propulsion.
•
AMS, an equal shares joint venture between BAE Systems and Finmeccanica of Italy, is expected to contribute towards the Astute Combat Management and Countermeasure systems.
•
BAE Systems Combat and Radar Systems, under instructions from the Astute Prime
Contract
Office,
is
currently
developing
the
Astute Combat
Management System (ACMS). •
BAE Systems Customer Solutions & Support (CS&S) provides tailored through-life support and service solutions, and is expected to contribute towards Navigation systems.
•
CAE has been contracted to supply Controls & Instrumentation (C&I) Integration for the Astute Class submarine.
•
Darchem is active in the development of Darmet all metallic insulation systems which are currently fitted to primary and secondary systems on Swiftsure, Trafalgar, and Vanguard class submarines and is being manufactured for Astute class also.
•
EADS(UK) is supplying the complete External Communications System (ECS) for the Astute class submarines to BAE Systems.
•
HM Naval Base Clyde will be the location of in-service support.
•
Rolls-Royce is supplying the nuclear steam raising plant which powers the main propulsion system and the associated propulsors for all three Astute Class submarines.
•
Rolls-Royce is also designing the software for the central control consul and start-up panel.
26 of 35
•
Strachan & Henshaw are providing the Weapon Handling & Launch System and SSE systems for the first three Astute Class submarines, and the weapon integration systems for torpedoes.
•
The Astute Class radar band above water sensing requirement is satisfied by the Thales Sensors RESM Outfit UAP(4).
•
Thales Optronics designs and manufactures electro-optical (EO) systems and equipment, modules and components, and will provide non-hull penetrating masts for the Astute class.
•
Thales Underwater Systems has been selected to provide the sonar system – Sonar 2076.
•
Ultra Electronics will provide Astute submarines with weapons interfaces, static converters and degaussing.
Sources Beedall, Richard provides an in depth overview of all available sources in, Astute Class. Parts of his article are reproduced here. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/9452/index1.htm.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/astute/index.html http://www.astuteclass.com/
Maritime Underwater Future Capability (MUFC) Formerly the Future Attack Submarine (FASM) •
FASM, intended to replace the last four or five of the seven Trafalgar Class nuclear powered submarines, was renamed the MUFC. MUFC is designed to define and produce the principle capabilities to replace Astute.
•
The original FASM programme reached the Concept Phase, with Initial Gate and entry in to the Assessment Phase scheduled for December 2001. This date is now unachievable for MUFC and is being reviewed. The In Service Date for FASM was the middle of the second decade of this century. The ISD for MUFC is being reviewed.
•
MUFC is examining a range of remote-controlled underwater robots. Manned submarines are now expected to be used for command and transport roles rather than fighting sea battles. In place of traditional submarines, the RN is considering a range of nautical weaponry including robot drones that detect
27 of 35
and destroy mines; unmanned intelligence-gathering underwater vehicles; and remote-controlled underwater missile and torpedo platforms. •
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are not expected to start entering service within the next 10 to 15 years, and it may be as long as 30 years before a full capability can be provided. It is unclear how much of the FASM work will be re-used by the MUFC project, and whether MUFC will incorporate Manned Underwater Vehicles (MUV's) as well as UUV's.
BAE Systems Concept Submarine •
BAE Systems has investigated the concepts of Directional Waterjet Propulsion Pods (ultra-quiet directable podded water jet propulsion units that rotate at the root to provide vectored directional thrust and unparalled high/low speed manoeuvrability in conjunction with single lower rudder for stability and steering) and Sensor Arrays (ultra-sophisticated all-round sonar coverage achieved through platypus bow sonar and after fin arrays).
Sources http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/
Fast Lift Concept, DEC DSR •
The Director Equipment Capability Deploy, Sustain, Recover is interested in Fast lift to either replace or complement present RoRo and strategic sea lift capabilities.
•
At this stage the DEC is watching, primarily in the commercial sector, for a solution to the concept in conjunction with other DECs. If any other DECs commission a research vessel, DEC DSR would analyse the findings.
•
Presently available Fast ships in the commercial sector do not meet the size and magnitude requirements for DEC DSR (i.e. DEC DSR require a 10,000 tonne vessel, and all that are available are 1,000 tonne vessels), or shape requirements for speed.
•
The possibility of enlarging commercial Fast vessels is not entirely viable; as their size increases so will their fuel consumption, and this will reduce container capacity.
•
Fast lift is very much a concept at this stage. There is no official funded line and the DEC seems to be watching for any commercial and/or technological advancements that may meet future requirements.
28 of 35
Source Interview with Wing Commander John Jenkins, DEC DSR, 04 December 2003.
NATO Submarine Tender •
The NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) is a multi-national project managed by the UK DPA on behalf of France, Norway and the UK.
•
A number of studies have been conducted over the last few years, with the participants recently reaching the end of the Project Definition Phase. The three nations have now moved into the Design and Manufacture Phase.
•
NSRS will be a single system jointly operated and funded by the Participant Nations. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the three Nations on 6 June 2003, covering general principles for the 29-year programme and specific arrangements for the D&M Phase.
•
Invitations to Tender for the D&M Phase Contract was issued in June 2003.
•
The likely future timescale is as follows: Award D&M Contract - March 2004; Achieve Initial Operating Capability - December 2006; Achieve Full Operating Capability - March 2007. The expected in-service life is 25 years.
Procurement •
NSRS is being procured under a 'Government Owned, Contractor Operated' arrangement.
•
The D&M Phase Contract will include an in-service period, giving an initial contracting period of 8-10 years.
•
Following a pre-qualification process, seven potential prime contractors have been invited to tender.
•
The D&M Phase of the NSRS project is being conducted as a partnership between France, Norway and the UK, with the UK acting as contracting authority and host nation for project management. This arrangement will be reviewed for future phases.
•
Turkey, a participant during the Project Definition Phase, will remain an Observer
Nation
whilst
they
consider
future
financial
involvement.
Opportunities exist for other nations to join the project through signature of further phase MoUs, and participation in the In-Service operation of the rescue system.
Sources http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/nsrs.htm
29 of 35
REFITS Surface Warship Refits Warship Support Modernisation Initiative14 •
Under the Warship Support Modernisation Initiative (WSMI), Devonport Management Ltd will provide engineering and other support at Devonport naval base, Fleet Support Ltd at Portsmouth, and Babcock Engineering Services (a subsidiary of Rosyth's owners) at the Clyde bases (Faslane and Coulport). Naval base commanders will continue to determine what work is required, and the execution of that work will be delivered by the commercial partners. The three contracts came into effect in September 2002.
•
The MoD expect savings from the WSMI of £327 million over 5 years, and £48 million a year thereafter. These would be achieved by rationalising organisations at each site from two to just one, the firms’ ability to attract third-party work, competition for refits reducing their cost to the MoD, rationalising engineering maintenance and management structures, and the wider sharing of overheads for the estates and utilities.
•
The savings in the first 5 years are to be evenly divided between the dockyard programme and the naval bases, but the longer term recurring savings are to be entirely attributed to the naval bases. The initiative is likely to lead to 1,000 posts being lost over a five year period, which translates into 750 staff because some posts are vacant. The largest element of the naval base savings is concerned with the proposed partnering on the Clyde.
•
Introducing the WSMI, by 2005-06, increases the estimated percentage of refit work exposed to competition by a half — 93% rather than 61%.
Extent of warship refit competition 2002-03 Assuming
the 53%
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
51%
69%
93%
44%
41%
61%
WSMI proceeded: “ WSMI did not 52% proceed
14
Defence Select Committee Fourth Report, 3 July 2002, House of Commons. Parts of the report are reproduced here.
30 of 35
A tapering-off of allocated warship maintenance programmes Prior to the Initiative Devonport
•
Allocated
Under the WSMI
upkeep
•
programme to end •
•
Rosyth
allocated
upkeep in 2002-03. •
in 2001-02.
Last
Docking periods to
All docking periods
be competed after
allocated.
2002-03. •
Major warship/escort
Allocated work to end in 2004-05.
•
upkeep
Allocated work to end in 2004-05.
programme allocated to end in 2004-05. •
Minor
warship
repair
periods
allocated
until
2007-08. Portsmouth
•
Docking
periods
•
allocated. •
No Repair period work allocated.
•
Allocated work to end in 2004-05.
•
No
repair
period
work allocated.
There remains much uncertainty for the naval bases, dockyards and their workforces. The MoD considers that its recent decisions on the base-porting of future warships—Portsmouth for the Future Carriers and Type-45s, Devonport for amphibious assault vessels and the helicopter carrier, and Clyde for the Astute submarines—will provide a continuing need for all three bases. The output-focussed contracts with the new commercial managers will prompt efficiency initiatives, however, that might place the longer term viability of some dockyards in greater doubt. The MoD will need to ensure that it is able to safeguard essential facilities at the bases and Rosyth Dockyard. All major planned refit and maintenance work must be undertaken in the UK.15
15
Adapted: Para 49, Defence Select Committee Fourth Report, 3 July 2002, House of Commons.
31 of 35
Refits of Type 23 Frigates •
Plans to contract for the refit of five Type 23 frigates at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland over the next four years were announced on 30 March 2001.
•
The contract, worth around £75 million, will secure work at the yard until 2005 and putting the five refits together in a single batch at the dockyard will allow significant savings to be made on the cost to the taxpayer.
•
Babcock Rosyth Defence Ltd is expected to bid for further naval refitting work. In addition, the MoD is continuing discussions with BRDL, other commercial dockyard owners at Devonport and Portsmouth, and the Trade Unions over wider proposals to tackle the problem of over capacity in warship maintenance and repair. These proposals include possible partnership arrangements between BRDL and Clyde Naval Base.
Refits of Type 42 Destroyers •
An MoD maintenance programme is underway in Portsmouth.
•
The Type-42 destroyers are to receive docking period work under a £35 million contract with Fleet Support Ltd. Docking periods, when essential maintenance/updates are carried out on ships, are conducted every four years.
•
HMS Southampton is the second of three Type-42’s destroyers to receive docking period work under – the first being HMS Exeter and the third York.
•
HMS Southampton entered Portsmouth dockyard at the beginning of July 2003. Work carried out on the vessel will also include the fitting of a new propulsion shaft and additions and alterations to improve living conditions for the ships staff.
•
Occurring between ship refits, docking periods are an important part of the through-life support that the WSA offer all Fleet vessels.
•
Fleet Support Limited (FSL) is aiming to use the extensive repair of the Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham as a passport to bringing major warship refits back to Portsmouth Naval Base.
Other Dockyard Partnering Arrangements •
The WSA’s Major Warships IPT has developed partnering arrangements with the Dockyard contractors at Rosyth and Devonport for the refits of HMS Liverpool and HMS Manchester. Partnering Charters have been agreed that identify key shared objectives and promote co-operative behaviour.
32 of 35
Sources http://www.mod.uk/ http://www.addingitup.gov.uk/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Ship Life Extension Programme (SLEP) for Invincible Class Carriers •
The current Invincible class of aircraft carriers are scheduled to leave service between 2010-2015. A SLEP option was originally investigated during the pre-feasibility work for CVF.
•
BAe-SEMA completed a SLEP study in 1995 in the preliminary CVF feasibility studies which concluded that SLEP was technically risky on account of existing hull fatigue and the problems of inserting an additional hull section to increase capacity. It was found that SLEP would not provide the dramatic increase in air wing capacity offered by the larger new-build CVF. It was also concluded that such a solution was disproportionately expensive given the limited capability improvement conferred by the modifications over a relatively short additional lifespan.
•
Despite SDR’s decision to build the new carriers, as an alternative to the CVF programme the MoD continues to consider the feasibility of extending the service life of two of the three existing CVS's by 10 years, i.e. the required ISD for their replacements would change from 2012 to 2022.
•
An invitation to tender for the further special refit (FSR) study contract was issued in early 1999 and the work was probably completed by year's end. Although its conclusions were never published, the FSR study apparently found that the CVS's could not be cost-effectively altered to operate the STOVL variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, partly because they are simply too small for any plane much larger than the Harrier. Adoption of the FSR option was thus rendered impossible.
•
However, should there be a sustained and substantial delay to the CVF programme, SLEP is the likely option to be used to maintain the necessary aircraft carrier capability for power projection.
Submarine (Swiftsure & Trafalgar Class) Update Project •
The Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class (S&T) Update provides an enhancement to the operational effectiveness of the UK’s submarine (SSN) flotilla through a staged improvement to the Tactical Weapon System (TWS) and by the
33 of 35
implementation of a series of modifications to reduce further the submarine’s underwater acoustic signature. •
A staged procurement policy has enabled elements of the new TWS to be fitted in submarines at the earliest opportunity.
•
Shore integration facilities have also been provided to prove the TWS architecture prior to installation on the submarine.
•
An initial phase design TWS update is now at sea in a number of platforms, making a valuable contribution to the operational capability of the SSN flotilla. Work is well underway to provide the full final phase TWS enhancement which, building on the successes of the interim architecture, will provide an extremely capable Tactical Weapon system (TWS).
•
The 12 month slippage in the Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class Submarine Update was caused by software engineering problems which led to the sonar system development programme being delayed.16
•
Management of the update programme is being undertaken by Marconi Astute Class Limited (MACL) – now part of BAE Systems, the Prime Contractor for the Astute Class submarines. In addition to its responsibilities for the S&T Update, MACL is gaining experience that will ensure an optimised combat system for the Astute class.
Trafalgar Class Submarine Updates •
HMS Torbay has returned to the fleet after a £240 million upgrade, which is part of the Swiftsure and Trafalgar Update Final Phase (S&TFP) project to update three other submarines, HMS Trenchant, HMS Talent and HMS Triumph.
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Sub contract opportunities: The upgrades include a new Command Console; an upgraded Submarine Command System; a new Tactical Weapons System Highway; an upgraded communications system, RICE10; new Propulsor and new Flexi couplings upgraded signature reduction measures; and the introduction of the fully integrated Sonar 2076 composed of a bow, flank and towed array sensor developed by Thales Underwater Systems Ltd.
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The Update Project provides the very advanced combat capabilities intended for the much larger Astute class.
16
Major Projects Report 2001
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Location •
The focus of the Astute submarine programme is at Barrow, so DML Plymouth has been awarded the in-service update contract. DML has executed the D154 submarine facilities upgrade contract in order to allow the future submarine support programme to be carried out at Devonport.
Sources http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/ http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/stupdate.htm
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January 2004
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