Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced that new contracts worth £1bn have been signed with British firms
Stock image of HMS Scott HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel and is the third Royal Navy ship to carry the name. She is the only vessel of her class and can remain at sea for up to 300 days a year, thanks to her novel crew rotation system. At 13,500 tonnes Scott is the fifth largest ship in the Royal Navy but only needs a crew of 78. This is made possible by adopting commercial manning practices such as the use of fixed fire fighting systems and extensive machinery safety surveillance technology. Scott has been specially designed to carry the modern High Resolution Multi Beam Sonar System (HRMBSS). This swathe echo sounder is capable of collecting depth information over a strip of the sea bed several kilometers wide & gives Scott the capability of surveying 150km2 of ocean floor every hour. All the processing of the data is conducted and checked onboard with the final product rendered to the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton. Because HMS Scott was designed and built to house her advanced survey sonar system she is a spacious ship with most 85 crew members onboard having his or her own cabin complete with an en-suite restroom and shower. There are also two gymnasiums as well as a badminton/basketball court, designed to maintain the crew’s fitness.
The contracts, which will secure over 700 jobs at shipyards across the country, will support the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and the Royal Navy’s Survey and Hydrographic Fleet. The deal covers 17 ships and will improve how spares, repairs and maintenance work are carried out.
The successful companies will work on the ships at dockyards around the UK to ensure they are serviced and fitted with the latest equipment and systems, whether they are undergoing a refit, undertaking training or on operations.
HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel and is the third Royal Navy ship to carry the name. She is the only vessel of her class and can remain at sea for up to 300 days a year, thanks to her novel crew rotation system.
At 13,500 tonnes Scott is the fifth largest ship in the Royal Navy but only needs a crew of 78.
This is made possible by adopting commercial manning practices such as the use of fixed fire fighting systems and extensive machinery safety surveillance technology.
Scott has been specially designed to carry the modern High Resolution Multi Beam Sonar System (HRMBSS).
This swathe echo sounder is capable of collecting depth information over a strip of the sea bed several kilometers wide & gives Scott the capability of surveying 150km2 of ocean floor every hour.
All the processing of the data is conducted and checked onboard with the final product rendered to the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton.
Because HMS Scott was designed and built to house her advanced survey sonar system she is a spacious ship with most 85 crew members onboard having his or her own cabin complete with an en-suite restroom and shower.
There are also two gymnasiums as well as a badminton/basketball court, designed to maintain the crew’s fitness.
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said:
This £1bn deal secures work for some of our world-leading shipyards into the next decade, supporting over 700 jobs for workers to ensure our ships remain at sea to defend the nation. This vital work is not only great news for our Navy, but also underlines the importance of defence to our national skills and prosperity.
Agreements following a competition include expected to be worth:
- £357 million with Cammell Laird in Birkenhead to support the RFA’s Fort and Wave class tankers
- £262 million also with Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, to support the RFA’s new fleet of four 39,000-tonne Tide class tankers
- £239 million with A&P in Falmouth to support the RFA’s Bay class landing ships as well as the casualty ship RFA Argus and Royal Navy ocean survey vessel HMS Scott
- A £150 million contract with UK Docks Ltd on Tyneside to support the survey ships HMS Echo and Enterprise and the ice patrol ship HMS Protector.
