UK Shipbuilding

[Poiuytrewq]

Great news.

https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/harl ... milestone/

[wargame_insomniac]

Some further progress

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-gla ... next-year/

[Jackstar]

STAFF and management at UK Docks’ Teesside facility are celebrating a record-breaking year for the number of ships serviced and repaired.

More than 30 vessels have been successfully worked on in the shipyard’s two dry docks and heavy lift repair quay throughout 2023.
Among them were the Royal Navy’s only icebreaker, HMS Protector, former Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tristram, (now a training vessel), as well as Transport For London’s Dame Vera Lynn and Ben Woollacott, the Trinity House Patricia, the UKD Marlin, various North Star and Putford vessels and several Svitzer Tugs.

https://www.ukdocks.com/new-blog

[Poiuytrewq]

Great to see Appledore back at it.

[Jackstar]

HARLAND & WOLFF CUTS FIRST STEEL ON NEW CABLE BARGE FOR KBS MARITIME
International shipbuilding and naval defence contractor, Harland & Wolff, have cut first steel on a new cable barge it is building for Portsmouth-based KBS Maritime Ltd. The ceremony took place at Harland & Wolff’s Appledore ship factory in North Devon and was attended by technical representatives from KBS Maritime and Harland & Wolff’s engineering team.

In a contract valued at approximately £800,000, Harland & Wolff has designed and will deliver in Spring 2024, a specialist cable barge that will enter service in His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth. All construction work will be carried out at Appledore in parallel with existing defence and commercial projects currently underway at the site.

KBS Maritime Ltd is a joint venture between KBR and BAE Systems and delivers hard facilities management and alongside services to support to the Portsmouth flotilla. The base is home to almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s surface ships, including the flagship aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince Of Wales, Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and mine countermeasures and fishery protection squadrons. On average, 700 ship movements a year take place, from a single ship movement to the deployment of the Carrier Strike Group.

The new cable barge now under construction will be used by KBS Maritime as a floating platform to lower anchors and associated cables chains from ships so that they can be tested and refurbished as required. The barge will be used to support alongside operations for Mine Hunters, Type 23’s, Type 45’s, and, when commissioned, the new Type 26’s and Type 31’s.

Harland & Wolff’s naval architects have worked closely with KBS Maritime’s engineering team during the design phase to incorporate features that will improve the safety, capability and efficiency of alongside operations. The barge currently in service has, over past 25 years, been heavily modified and the learnings from these modifications have been incorporated into the new design.

James Davis, Managing Director at KBS Maritime said, “The acquisition of the new cable barge is a key investment supporting our Asset Management strategy across Portsmouth Naval Base. By working with Harland & Wolff to design a forward-thinking and purpose-built barge, specific to the needs of this busy Naval Base, it will enable our Alongside Services teams to continue to deliver vital services to the Royal Navy in an efficient and safe way.”

Tom Hart, General Manager of Harland & Wolff in Appledore added, “We’re delighted to welcome the KBS project team to witness cutting steel. The existing cable barge has served well for over 25 years, and we are looking forward to building a modern, more capable alternative in her image that will help to serve the Royal Navy. Additionally, our work on this contract will enable us to continue growing both our workforce and our skills as the yard looks to ramp up for the delivery of the FSS contract.”
https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/harl ... -maritime/

[Jackstar]

Cammell Laird back in profit.

https://www.cityam.com/boaty-mcboatface ... ince-2017/

[Poiuytrewq]

Great news for Babcock.

https://amp.kedglobal.com/newsAmp/ked202402210011

[Poiuytrewq]

Another £120m to keep the lights on.

https://www.insidermedia.com/news/irela ... ds-project

[wargame_insomniac]

Another £120m to keep the lights on.

https://www.insidermedia.com/news/irela ... ds-project

If H&W can keep on chipping away with small but profitable contracts, then it makes them less reliant on say one bad customer. And if they can genuinely learn from their partnership with Navantia on FSS, inclunding their construction work on the middle third and then assembly work, maybe next time they can bid more confidently on their ability to do the entire piece.

I notice from then InsiderMedia piece, that they are (sensibly) spreading the work across their various sites.How will Appledore cope though if the pontoons have no bow sections??


If across any UK wide 30 year shipbuilding Plan, then if the RFA can rely on H&W to build 6-7 combined tankers & FSS, with a further 2-3 large Amphibs for RN, then just need Appdledore to win half a dozen inshore and fishery protection PV's and cutters and other such smaller ships, then both main H&W yards should be sufficiently well set even before any export wins.

Again just need to avoid feast & famine, planning in advance for when best to slot in contracts...

[new guy]

And they have a partnership with austal...

[Poiuytrewq]

If H&W can keep on chipping away with small but profitable contracts….

H&W is much more than a purely shipbuilding enterprise which is a good thing but it may also tempt a future government to allow any drumbeat to slip if the rest of the business is doing well.

The Belfast site is a sleeping giant and Appledore has proven to be an efficient facility over the years. Both are crucial, nationally important industrial facilities.

The yards will need ongoing contacts of around £250m minimum but ideally £350m per annum to stay in the shipbuilding business after the FSS program concludes.

Luckily that’s two elections away.

[tomuk]

If H&W can keep on chipping away with small but profitable contracts….

H&W is much more than a purely shipbuilding enterprise which is a good thing but it may also tempt a future government to allow any drumbeat to slip if the rest of the business is doing well.

The Belfast site is a sleeping giant and Appledore has proven to be an efficient facility over the years. Both are crucial, nationally important industrial facilities.

The yards will need ongoing contacts of around £250m minimum but ideally £350m per annum to stay in the shipbuilding business after the FSS program concludes.

Luckily that’s two elections away.

Firstly is it profitable contract? If you have no business it is very tempting to bid low just to get the work in. Secondly H&W isn't much more than shipbuilding enterprise it is basically building itself up from nothing, the facilities maybe nationally important infrastructure but the H&W company isn't.

[new guy]

Made by the sister company of IoW shipyard... Another contender in the future if the RN ever gets into anything littoral.

[wargame_insomniac]

Its the sort of sized shipd that H&W Appledore should be able to specialise it as many nations need Littoral Patrol Vessels for fishery protection, Border Control, coastguard, anti-drug amuggling etc.

Especially if (similar to the previous Sea class of boats) they were aimed at having common controls for engine, steering, communications and sensors. Would sure help on Crew Training and annual Repairs and Maintenance between the various UK and BIOT Governmental Departments.

And getting a couple of them badged for Royal Navy should nt hurt global
export sales either.

If we had a few such ships in the UK Shipbuilding portfolio then would help filling in gaps for somebof the smaller UKShipyards to reduce the feast versus famine appfoach previously taken.

[new guy]

H&W has a partnership with Austal for Aluminium shipbuilding focused on the Border force requirement.

https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/aust ... d-kingdom/

IOW shipyard is the sister company of the builder of the ship above and they have a range of products. They are also have goals on the Border Force Cutter Programme.

https://www.wightshipyard.com/single-po ... ilder-ocea
https://www.ocea-ssm.com/

[new guy]

Appledore Shipyard looks to hire 100 new workers.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... 00-8883493

Anybody know what the 3 RFA's are?

[Repulse]

Appledore Shipyard looks to hire 100 new workers.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... 00-8883493

Anybody know what the 3 RFA's are?

Aren’t they building parts of the FSSs?

[tomuk]

Appledore Shipyard looks to hire 100 new workers.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... 00-8883493

Anybody know what the 3 RFA's are?

Aren’t they building parts of the FSSs?

Yes the bow sections.

Given the experience its Appledore shipyard has in the fabrication of the bow sections for the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, all three bow sections for this programme will be fabricated in Appledore prior to being transported to Belfast.

https://www.harland-wolff.com/news/demo ... n-for-fss/

[new guy]

Appledore Shipyard looks to hire 100 new workers.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... 00-8883493

Anybody know what the 3 RFA's are?

Aren’t they building parts of the FSSs?

Oh I am dumb I thought they where talking about refit or maintenance work.

[tomuk]

Reading the DevonLive article it says about the previous closure

Appledore was bought by Harland and Wolff after former owner Babcock closed it in 2019 when it lost its contract with an Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri.

Any idea what this contract was?