![]() ![]() BMT/Navantia and the British Consortium already had begun design work on their FSS proposals before the process was halted. The first FSS was supposed to replace RFA Fort Victoria by around 2025 and this single ship will is a critical enabler of the carrier strike group. (More detail in previous article).īinning FSS and LSS to replace them with the multi-role vessels will not be all plain sailing. The ELLIDA concept developed by BMT is an existing solution for the MRSS requirement, a hybrid replenishment, logistic and landing ship available in various configurations up to around 24,000 tonnes. ![]() A less attractive, but perhaps more realistic option, would result in fewer ships but designed to be adaptable, able to act as both a replenishment ship an amphibious platform. Cammell Laird in Birkenhead and Babcock Marine in Rosyth would be the obvious candidates for involvement. Building multiple vessels to the same design to a steady drumbeat would ensure continuity of work for UK industry for a decade. Being wildly optimistic, MRSS could potentially deliver at least 2 LSS / LPD replacements, 3 FSS and potentially 1 or 2 Hospital/Aid ships and even a replacement for RFA Argus. Theoretically, the build process of the later vessels should be more efficient as the shipyard gains experience. A common hull, propulsion, electrical system and other internal equipment would achieve economies of scale both initially and during through-life support. There are obvious attractions in standardising on a single hull type. Does the MRSS need to be built to full warship survivability standards or will the lesser standards of a typical RFA suffice? It is also more challenging from a naval architecture perspective, as different types of vessels use a variety of naval standards and classifications. ![]() The adaptable ship will inevitably be more expensive than a single role vessel as it has to have the infrastructure and systems in place to support multiple missions. In a wider sense the MRSS concept may not just be about using the same hull for different ships but a more radical design for a truly adaptable ship with modular equipment that can be rapidly reconfigured for different missions. The old way of thinking that to be considered ‘first-rate’, a ship cannot be a ‘jack of all trades’ is being challenged by new technology and financial necessity. Developments in modular systems, manpower-reduction, miniaturisation, autonomous and off-board systems make it easier for different roles to co-exist in a single vessel. MRSS is not an entirely new idea, a pre-concept study was conducted between 2017-2018 by the MoD’s Naval Design Partnering (NDP) team, primarily focussed on possible replacements for the LPDs. The Elidda / MRSS design could also form the basis of a UK hospital or aid ship. The relative merits of a dedicated hospital ship or aid ship (a very significant difference) are discussed in more depth here but potentially such a vessel could use the same MRSS platform. This would partly relieve the burden on the Naval Service, providing disaster relief and medical support duties overseas as well as be on hand for battlefield casualties or possibly support the NHS in times of extreme crisis. MRSS may now supersede both the FSS and LSS projects.įor several years we have promoted the idea of building a UK aid or hospital ship(s) funded by DfID. As several more enlightened defence ministers have taken office, keen to support British industry, the project was suspended in November 2019 with the expectation that FSS would be restarted and open only to UK bidders. FSS procurement has been the source of great controversy ever since the government of Theresa May decided to hold in an open international competition for their construction. Previal Partners produced a very credible proposal for the requirement which had been quietly in development for several years but there are strong indications LSS is now dead.Ī new generation of Fleet Solid Support ships (FSS) is needed to supply the aircraft carriers and their supporting warships with ammunition, food and spares at sea. Subsequently, there has been very limited further official comment about the vessels which were intended to be forward deployed to act as Special Forces and amphibious raiding base. ![]() The Future Littoral Strike Ship concept was first announced by Gavin Williamson in February 2019. In this speculative piece, we look at the background and the potential options. During an internal briefing in mid-March, its was revealed that the RN could be planning to dispense with the Fleet Solid Support ship (FSS) and Littoral Strike Ship (LSS) concepts and standardise on a single hull known as the Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS). ![]()
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