Paint it grey: Future subsea safety ship was initially delivered as an offshore building vessel [Image: Vard]
As final yr’s incident involving the Nordstream pipeline within the Baltic underscores, subsea infrastructure could be extraordinarily inclined to sabotage. The U.Okay. is taking the issue sufficiently significantly that final November it accelerated plans to accumulate two specialist ships to transform to Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) vessels and shelved plans to construct a brand new nationwide flagship that may fill the position as soon as performed by the royal yacht Britannia.
The first of the 2 vessels to be transformed arrived on the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead yesterday. It is the subsea construction vessel Topaz Tangaroa, initially delivered from outfitting yard Vard Brattvaag in Norway in December 2019.
Following a proper handover to the Royal Navy within the coming days, the ship will endure a interval of army modification and is because of be operational this summer season
Once operational, the ship will probably be devoted to safeguarding seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gasoline pipelines. The 98 meter lengthy vessel will act as a mom ship, working distant and autonomous offboard methods for underwater surveillance and seabed warfare.
At Cammell Laird, the ship will probably be repainted and have crucial army gear put in, earlier than being handed over for operation by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) later this yr.
Due to be renamed because it joins the RFA fleet the vessel was chosen to satisfy the necessities of the Royal Navy, having been constructed to assist a mixture of underwater operations, together with work on oil rigs, building, upkeep and inspection work, in addition to autonomous submarine operations.
The 6,000-tonne vessel is supplied with a helipad, crane, and expansive working deck and incorporates a moon pooll within the underside of the hull via which submersible capabilities could be launched.
It will probably be crewed by round two-dozen RFA sailors, whereas round 60 Royal Navy specialists will function the undersea surveillance methods and different survey and warfare methods when embarked.
The program for the acquisition of a second subsea safety ship is at present in idea section.
