Duqm Naval Dockyard, the Joint Venture between Babcock International and the Oman Drydock Company, has completed a first of its kind double engine replacement for the Royal Navy in the Middle East.
Undertaken at Asyad dry dock facility at Duqm, in Oman, the operation to replace the Forward Auxiliary Machinery Room generators was a package of more than 500 items, and enabled the Royal Navy to sustain operations within the region as the latest example of Babcock’s global reach.
“Part of an extensive fleet time support programme for HMS Montrose in the Middle East, the team also stripped back the flightdeck and fully repainted it; completed funnel cowling repairs; and built and tested a brand new, main shaft seal cofferdam. All activities during the eleven-week repair period were completed against the backdrop of strict COVID working protocols and challenging temperatures.”
Will Erith, Babcock’s Marine Sector Chief Executive, said:
“Once again, our Joint Venture team has supported the Royal Navy in Oman, delivering an on time, to cost comprehensive maintenance programme, including the first Forward Auxiliary Machinery Room double engine replacement in the Middle East. Our global support approach underpins the service we deliver whenever, wherever our customers require.”
Commander Collins, Commanding Officer, HMS Montrose, said:
“As the Royal Navy continues to maintain a forward presence around the globe, utilising Duqm as an engineering and logistical hub has provided an outstanding opportunity to conduct improvements and upgrades to HMS Montrose. It ensures we can sustain operations at reach from the UK and reinforces our strong relationship with Oman.”
If we are once again going to pursue an Eat of Suez policy then these are the type of facilities that we will need in place
Absolutely Martyn, it’s exactly what’s needed to be able to keep warships in the Far East for extended periods.
No… Mine was on a US Vessel.
A good mate and former RN work colleague was looking after Montrose this time . They blasted back the flight deck and repainted. It. needed it as well. Her flight deck had more patche repairs than an illegal immigrants rubber dingy in the channel.
My team was ready to do it but COVID requirements was a driving factor in determining that she went there.
Its been a while since I have seen her hopefully she will be back in my neck of the woods soon.
Regarding a double diesel engine change its a major task to complete. Opening shipping routes, access work and slinging out diesels before replacing them. Its a Massive job… I have been involved with doing it in the UK and its a major evolution… About as big as it gets on a T23.
Who is doing this JV? Locals or expats? Or flown in?
Seems a major step up from the 3 week maint package in Dubai that the T23s did – which iirc was a UK navy/contractor team flown out and some in situ tools etc more linked to the MCMV det.
Lost track of how they’re doing this now, but is it still 7monthers or is the ship lingg term and crew swap? Latter was being talked about but I moved on!
Isn’t Hms Montrose due to be decommissioned next year. Seems a waste of time and money and effort. But this is what happens when the fleet is over extended. Should cut the cloth to suit resources.
so she is supposed to sail around, working hard for the next year with a defective shaft seal arrangement and a blistered flight deck? – and then somehow sail home……..
Besides, what are the chances she gets decommissioned but sold on? I’m sure there are a few allied navies that could use the capabilities of a T23. Not as easy to sell if she’s broken!
I have a strong feeling Brazil or Ukraine may bid
I think Greece is in the running too.
All paint on a Warship needs maintaining. The flight deck especially needs to have paint that remain securely bonded to the steel. If it starts to lift it becomes a FOD hazard to aircraft operating on the deck.
Montrose’s flight deck had a lots and lots of small patches all over it that had been patch repaired over the past few years during previous maintenance periods. She had reached the point where patching the patches was not going to cut it anymore so they blasted back the deck and repainted.
As for the Diesels they where coming up on max running hours so they needed changing. It’s a massive job doing a 2x Fwd diesel change. Access routes to open up, equipment to remove. 1 x engine out then sling the other across the machinery space and then lift out. Re install is the reverse. You then need to do electrical load tests on the engines.
This will give Montrose another few years of running around time at least.
I think you all have answered my question. I was in the navy aboard a ship that was decommissioned after 17 years in service because it was decided uneconomical to update. Montrose is 30 years old so I can imagine what state she is in. My point is we are using 30 years old ships to perform duties because we just don’t have enough surface vessels. If we want a global britain we have to have a global navy.
Montrose is in an OK condition. She has had a number of previous maintenance periods outside of Duqm over the previous years which I have been heavily involved with so I do have personal experience of the ship.
Don’t forget the T23 of the late 1980s to early 90s is nothing like the T23 now.
Most systems and equipment has been updated and renewed. Yes the hulls on T23s have a lot of steel inserts, and I have put some of them in on Montrose but also I have done inserts on otherRN and RFA vessels some of which are far younger. Inserts are an easy fix to do. You should see some of the commercial vessels I have worked on…hundreds of tons of steel are not uncommon on those ships
I think the final salient point that needs to be made is that the entire maintenance period, despite the deployed nature of all its tasking, came in comparable or under the cost of conducting the same work in the UK. This is a VFM option for the future.