Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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SKB
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Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Introduction
HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel of the Royal Navy, and the only vessel of her class. She is the third Royal Navy ship to carry the name, and the second to be named after the Antarctic explorer, Robert Falcon Scott. She was ordered to replace the survey ship HMS Hecla.

Construction
The ship was ordered from BAeSEMA in 1995 to replace the ageing HMS Hecla. She was built at the Appledore Shipbuilders in North Devon and launched on 13 October 1996 by Mrs Carolyn Portillo, wife of Michael Portillo, the then-Secretary of State for Defence. She was commissioned on 20 June 1997. Not only is she the largest vessel in the Royal Navy's Hydrographic Squadron, and the fifth largest in the entire fleet, but she is also the largest survey vessel in Western Europe.

Role
Scott is the Royal Navy's only ocean survey vessel. She can remain at sea for up to 300 days a year, thanks to her novel crew rotation system. Her complement of 78 is divided into three sections: two sections are required to keep the ship operational, with the third on shore on leave or in training. When the ship returns to port, one crew section on board is replaced by the section on shore. The ship can then deploy again almost immediately. As with all of the Royal Navy's large survey vessels, Scott has an auxiliary role in support of mine countermeasure vessels.

History
In February 2005 Scott surveyed the seabed around the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which varies in depth between 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The survey, conducted using a high-resolution, multi-beam sonar system, revealed that the earthquake had made a huge impact on the topography of the seabed.

In September 2006, Scott was granted the Freedom of the City of Swansea. From August 2008 until June 2009 she was refitted in Portsmouth.

On 26 October 2009 and again on 25 November 2010 the ship deployed to the South Atlantic and Antarctic to cover for the non-availability of the Royal Navy icebreaker HMS Endurance. In February 2010, Scott hosted artist Rowan Huntley for a month in Antarctica, in a new artist-in-residence programme for the Royal Navy inaugurated by the Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI).

In June 2010, the ship visited Cardiff to mark the centenary of Robert Falcon Scott's departure from Cardiff on 15 June 1910 for the South Pole, at the start of the Terra Nova Expedition. In February 2011, Scott hosted Dafila Scott, Scott's granddaughter, in Antarctica for a month as the Friends of the SPRI's second artist-in-residence.

The ship returned to Devonport in April 2011. With the task of Antarctic patrol taken over by HMS Protector in that year, Scott left Devonport in September to resume deep-water surveying, initially in the Atlantic. From November 2013 to June 2014 her most extensive refit to date took place, in Devonport. This included coating the hull with Hempasil X3 non-toxic anti-fouling paint, which is expected to increase her fuel efficiency.

1. HMS Scott (H131) Commissioned 1997

Class and type: Scott-class ocean survey vessel
Displacement: 13,500 t (13,300 long tons; 14,900 short tons)
Length: 131.1 m (430 ft)
Beam: 21.5 m (71 ft)
Draught: 8.3 m (27 ft)
Propulsion:
2 × Krupp MaK 9M32 9-cylinder diesel engines
Single shaft with controllable-pitch propeller
Retractable bow thruster
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Crew Complement: 78
Sensors and processing systems:
Kelvin Hughes ARPA 1626, I-band navigation radar
Sonar Array Sounding System (SASS)
Proton Magnetometer
Sonar 2090 ocean environment sensor
SASS IV multibeam depth-sounder

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SKB
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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GibMariner
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by GibMariner »

HMS Scott has been in Gibraltar since October 13th.


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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Reminds me of the James Bond film in which the half-sunken ship in the HongKong harbour was a listening station
- are we that badly off... that we do not have a permanent capability there (in GIB)?

Russians have their "deep-sea exploration" ship, Yantar, off the Syria coast... I wonder what she is/ will be upto?
- missed her future companions, steaming through the English Channel, by half an hour
- they seem to be in a hurry, making good speed, to get into position, to kill more civilians
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by Ron5 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:Reminds me of the James Bond film in which the half-sunken ship in the HongKong harbour was a listening station
Got that from the SBS in the Falklands war.

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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That ship in "You Only Live Twice" in Hong Kong Harbour was the ex-Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth.


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(Photos: @DougieCoullPics)

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SKB
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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A Squash court!
Video:

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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:o

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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(S Wenham) 7th October 2020
HMS Scott departs (Portsmouth, morning of 7th October 2020)

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

https://questions-statements.parliament ... -23/174267

30 March 2021
The out of service date for HMS Scott has not changed as a result of the Integrated Review. Current plans will see SCOTT retired from service in 2022. As part of the Government's investment in shipbuilding, which increases to over £1.7 billion a year this Parliament, we will procure a Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS) to replace HMS Scott.

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by dmereifield »

donald_of_tokyo wrote:https://questions-statements.parliament ... -23/174267

30 March 2021
The out of service date for HMS Scott has not changed as a result of the Integrated Review. Current plans will see SCOTT retired from service in 2022. As part of the Government's investment in shipbuilding, which increases to over £1.7 billion a year this Parliament, we will procure a Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS) to replace HMS Scott.
So how big a gap will we have until the MROS comes into service?

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

dmereifield wrote:how big a gap will we have until the MROS comes into service?
Starting with the weight/ Displacement:
13,500 t of HMS Scott, it will be many years until we'll get the featherweight replacement, indicated at less than half of that.
For the first one,
- so call it 3 yrs??
- at half of that displacement
.... weighted average; a decade

Of course something coming with it is what the previous vessel could not do... we are headed for the sunnier uplands, again, though they might reside a thousand meters
- below the sea level !
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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This is the 3rd visit to Gibraltar this year since leaving the UK - is HMS Scott being "forward based" at Gib on the quiet?

”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navys ... n-service/

HMS Scott decommissioning has been pushed to 2023. A good decision, and I hope they will extend further until a coherent strategy is in place including the assets that are needed to cover this and similar roles.
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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There's more to HMS Scott than meets the eye, but one thing I've wondered is if they should add a winch deck to the stern and free up the foredeck to carry additional offboard platforms. Would be a good interim solution IMO as they work on MROSS (which will hopefully be a class of two, possibly three as I see HMS Protector in the same category).
”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

HMS Scott, to be back at sea. If she really gonna decommission on 2023, HMS Enterprise will come back, in place?


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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Not a surprise, and a sensible move, but looks to me as MRoSS 2 has been kicked to the right

https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-n ... ntil-2033/
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

Repulse wrote: 26 May 2023, 11:11 Not a surprise, and a sensible move, but looks to me as MRoSS 2 has been kicked to the right

https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-n ... ntil-2033/
A bit surprised many think it is a win. MROSS(2) has gone away for a decade. Win??

But I so think, keeping Scott for a while and building MROSS(2) later is very practical approach.

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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donald_of_tokyo wrote: 26 May 2023, 14:15 A bit surprised many think it is a win. MROSS(2) has gone away for a decade. Win??
Pros and cons?

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

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Poiuytrewq wrote: 26 May 2023, 15:14
donald_of_tokyo wrote: 26 May 2023, 14:15 A bit surprised many think it is a win. MROSS(2) has gone away for a decade. Win??
Pros and cons?
Pros:
- RFA doesn’t have to try and crew a ship they cannot afford to
- Opportunity to learn lessons from both the other new MRoSS and OSV RFAs and mature technology
- Funds can be spent elsewhere

Cons:
- A ship built for 20 years will now be 30 years in service
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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by tomuk »

Repulse wrote: 26 May 2023, 16:24
Poiuytrewq wrote: 26 May 2023, 15:14
donald_of_tokyo wrote: 26 May 2023, 14:15 A bit surprised many think it is a win. MROSS(2) has gone away for a decade. Win??
Pros and cons?
Pros:
- RFA doesn’t have to try and crew a ship they cannot afford to
- Opportunity to learn lessons from both the other new MRoSS and OSV RFAs and mature technology
- Funds can be spent elsewhere

Cons:
- A ship built for 20 years will now be 30 years in service
Other Cons
Will need a lifex of hull and propulsion, electrical equipment etc
Will likely need upgrades to sonar and data processing systems
No cover for capability while LIFEX takes place.

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by Poiuytrewq »

Repulse wrote: 26 May 2023, 16:24 Pros:
Also MROSS(2) would be perfect to fill a gap at Rosyth in the early 2030s if one was to appear in the drumbeat.

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Re: Scott Class Ocean Survey Vessel (RN)

Post by tomuk »

Poiuytrewq wrote: 26 May 2023, 18:32
Repulse wrote: 26 May 2023, 16:24 Pros:
Also MROSS(2) would be perfect to fill a gap at Rosyth in the early 2030s if one was to appear in the drumbeat.
What goes in the gap before then?

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