News
ammunition protection modifications as well as Based in Keynsham near Bristol, SSMG will be
installation of a new upgraded high-pressure (HP) responsible for providing a wide range of design and
air system. technical support services. Specialists from SSMG will
The vessel will also receive the new polymer-based work in a joint team with personnel from the MoD’s
foul-release paint system to the outer bottom, which Defence Equipment & Support organisation at Abbey
improves both the ship’s speed and fuel efficiency. Wood in Bristol.
A full hull survey and repair package, and The joint team will place greater emphasis on
renewal and repair of all ship side valves, will also managing the submarines’ capabilities and condition
be undertaken, while other major work will include: through life rather than focus on specific tasks. This
modifications to improve living quarters; installa- will open up opportunities to secure cost-reduction
tion of a new hot-climate vegetable locker; Sonar efficiencies and deliver performance improvements
2093 maintenance; re-siting of 5tonnes of ballast; across the enterprise. The team will also introduce
painting of weatherdeck and superstructure; renewal measures to increase personnel development through
of internal deck coverings; servicing of air condition- supervision, development planning and mentoring.
ing plants; and shafting/propulsion system inspection This will help ensure the UK sustains, in years to
and maintenance, among other work. come, a base of ‘Suitably Qualified and Experienced
A number of measures have already been applied Personnel’ to underpin its submarine capability.
that will help to reduce risk to the programme budget
and timescale, including pre-refit surveys relating to
areas such as ship painting and deck coverings, and air Mine Countermeasures
conditioning plants. These have provided an improved
knowledge of the current material state of the vessel in
VsPs for Finnish
advance of the refit and allowed any work required to
mine sweepers
be scheduled into the programme at an early stage.
In addition, the close working relationship between Three mine countermeasure vessels to be put in service
Babcock and the MoD has facilitated early procure- by the Finnish Navy by 2010 will have Voith Schneider
ment of materials and manufacture of items required Propellers (VSPs). The naming ceremony of the first of
for the project in advance, again helping to de-risk the the three mine sweepers took place in Sarzana, Italy, in
programme. The refit will also benefit from Babcock’s July. This is the first time that VSPs have been installed
experience and knowledge of the Sandown class on vessels of the Finnish Navy.
minehunters and, for example, lessons learnt from the By the end of 2009, another two VSPs type 18
first-of-class fit of the new upgraded HP Air system GH/135-PP will have been delivered to the Interma-
recently completed on HMS Bangor. rine shipyard in Sarzana.
HMS Ramsey’s SPD is due to be completed, includ- The designation used by Intermarine for the mine
ing sea trials, in January 2010. countermeasure vessels is MCMV 2010 class. Each of
the ships is 52.4m long with a breadth of 10m, with a
displacement of 680tonnes. The VSPs for the MCMV
Support 2010 class comply with the DNV Ice Class 1C.
BMT continues
support to
Mine Countermeasures
submarine flotilla
study contract
for remote control
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a
£155 million (US$251 million) contract to provide
solution
engineering support to the Royal Navy’s nuclear
submarine flotilla over the next 10 years. As part of The French defence procurement agency (DGA)
the Submarine Support Management Group (SSMG), has awarded DCNS, Thales and ECA a major study
BMT has played a major role in keeping Royal Navy contract that is expected to lead, around 2011,
submarines operating safely and capably at sea over to a demonstrator for a new mine countermeas-
the last 11 years. With the award of the Submarine ures (MCM) solution dubbed ‘Espadon’ (Évalua-
Engineering Support Contract, BMT companies tion de Solutions Potentielles d’Automatisation de
will continue their key involvement in SSMG as a Déminage pour les Opérations Navales, or ‘evalua-
sub-contractor to the team leader, Babcock Interna- tion of potential solutions for the automation of mine
tional PLC. clearing for naval operations’).
Warship Technology October 2009 9
p6-12_WT NEWS OCT09.indd 9 17/09/2009 16:52:26
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