In January 2023, the first vessel for this role - MV Topaz Tangaroa - was acquired and is to enter service as RFA Proteus. She was purchased for some £70 million and is to be converted to act as a mothership for autonomous systems and have military communications and light defensive armament added. The vessel ship is described as having been built in 2019 and is equipped to operate autonomous submersibles. She has diesel-electric propulsion with powerful twin bow thrusters to "hold a precise stationary position when working over subsea installations". She is also equipped with a ‘moon pool’, permitting a sheltered way for robot submersibles to be launched or recovered in high sea states. The ship is 98.1 metres-long with a flight deck, heavy duty crane and 1,000 square metres of cargo space. It is reported that a second MROS ship is envisaged, which is to be a new build vessel and as of 2023 is in the concept stage.
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 22 Jan 2023, 13:06
by SKB
Navy Lookout:
The vessel was purchased for £70 Million from Topaz Marine, a subsidiary of P&O Maritime. This modern, 6,000-tonne ship was built in 2019 for work in the offshore oil industry supporting construction, maintenance and inspection work and is equipped to operate autonomous submersibles. VARD designed her (classname VARD 3 08) and the hull was built by their Tulcea shipyard in Romania and fitted out at their Brattvaag facility in Norway.
It's certainly a great example of bang for your buck.
Normally this sort of thing would take ten years and 10 bun fights " will it be built here" etc etc and cost £500 million plus....
£70 million for a virtually new ship, absolute bargain!
I'll bet It costs more to buy the fleet of luxury cars to ferry top brass / MOD suits around every few years, so they can bluster over buying a ship like this!
"The prefix ‘K’ for the pennant number is assigned to ‘miscellaneous’ vessels by the RN and was last used by the diving ship HMS Challenger (K07) decommissioned in 1990 and the helicopter support ship, RFA Engadine decommissioned in 1989. The half-completed paint job can be seen in this bow view."
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 05 Apr 2023, 10:08
by Timmymagic
mrclark303 wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 09:51
Normally this sort of thing would take ten years and 10 bun fights " will it be built here" etc etc and cost £500 million plus....
Pretty much describes HMS Challenger...our previous MROSS...
Who would have predicted finding the crew required in the RFA resource pool would be difficult… what silent cut will be made to fix this priority? Just makes it even more of a joke when the RFA still has to find crew for 3 FSS and another MRoSS under current plans….
Who would have predicted finding the crew required in the RFA resource pool would be difficult… what silent cut will be made to fix this priority? Just makes it even more of a joke when the RFA still has to find crew for 3 FSS and another MRoSS under current plans….
Instant doubling of staff needed for the RFA
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 10 Aug 2023, 15:43
by Repulse
new guy wrote: ↑10 Aug 2023, 15:20
Instant doubling of staff needed for the RFA
I wonder why they haven’t thought of this already?
In all seriousness, it’s all about conditions (aka money) and money, given they are already going on strike then what gives to pay for it, and what happens to the moral in the RN. The RFA is their for logistics not as a stand in for the RN, yet we keep giving them more to do.
Perhaps with a shrinking number of ships overall better to scrap the RFA and get everything operated by RN sailors.
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 16 Sep 2023, 13:08
by Poiuytrewq
Proteus making a move from Cammell Laird
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 17 Sep 2023, 08:39
by SKB
(Stratus Imagery Ltd) 16th September 2023
Re: Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships
Posted: 19 Sep 2023, 17:56
by Repulse
Shows the complete farce of using the RFA for critical tasks.
