The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed that the final assembly and systems integration of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships will take place at Harland & Wolff’s (H&W) Belfast shipyard, maintaining the build strategy originally outlined.
This reassurance follows questions from MPs regarding whether any part of the final assembly might take place in Spain.
Responding to a question from James Cartlidge MP (Conservative, South Suffolk), who asked “where the (a) final assembly and (b) systems integration of the Fleet Solid Support Ships being constructed by Navantia will take place,” Defence Minister Maria Eagle stated:
“The overall build strategy for the Fleet Solid Support ships remains unchanged. All three ships will be assembled from blocks manufactured in Harland & Wolff shipyards in the UK and Navantia’s shipyards in Spain. Final assembly and systems integration of the ships is planned to take place in Belfast.”
Similarly, Mark Francois MP (Conservative, Rayleigh and Wickford) questioned whether any part of the final assembly is planned to take place in Spain under the revised Harland & Wolff contract. Eagle reaffirmed the commitment to Belfast, responding in the same way:
“The overall build strategy for the FSS ships remains unchanged. All three ships will be assembled from blocks manufactured in H&W shipyards in the UK and Navantia’s shipyards in Spain. Final assembly and systems integration of the ships is planned to take place in Belfast.”
The Fleet Solid Support ships are being constructed through a collaborative process, with blocks built at H&W’s facilities in Belfast and Appledore and at Navantia’s shipyard in Cádiz, Spain. However, the final assembly and integration of all three ships will take place at Belfast’s H&W shipyard, ensuring that the majority of the work remains in the UK.
Eagle explained, “The Government has worked closely with Navantia UK (Prime Contractor) on the future of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme and agreed with them the minimum changes to the contract necessary… This includes minimising disruption to the current schedule as much as possible, including the impact on in-service dates which is still being assessed.”
The confirmation follows the acquisition of H&W by Navantia UK, a deal aimed at integrating the British shipbuilder into Navantia’s global operations. This acquisition is expected to safeguard over 1,000 jobs across H&W’s shipyards in Belfast, Appledore, Methil, and Arnish. The Minister noted that the deal would “secure the future of all four Harland & Wolff (H&W) shipyards in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Devon.”
Good to know. So what else could Navantia build in the UK?
Maybe.
I’m pretty sure all the ‘difficult’ modules will be fabricated in Spain where the skills are.
Doing the engineering spaces in Belfast would be one too many risks.
I understand. Navantia have bought several smaller yards with Belfast. I suppose I was thinking great oaks from small acorns; replacements for the Archers, B1 Rivers, MCM motherships?
Paul P – I thought all RN ships had to be completely designed & built via UK shipyards-a criteria which couldn’t be met using this Navantia approach?
In fact I thought Id read on here a few years ago that Solid Support ships fit into that category also – I must have been mistaken?
The aren’t RN ships as they aren’t Warships, these are RFA and just like the Tides and Argus they can be built abroad (Sputh Korea could have have them built by now). It was a conscious HMG decision to formulate the NSBS around moving the builds for FSS back to UK. The long term aim is to regenerate a U.K large shipbuilding capability for these the MRSS and future ships. The H&W Belfast yard is the only facility left with the ability to build larger ships but it needs to regenerate its workforce and actually restart building.
Per ABC Rodney’s post, the UK build rule only applies to ‘warships’. As I see it the govt has achieved a number of things in this deal. It has extracted the govt from a situation where the tax payer was on the hook for funding a group of venture capital chancers. Secondly, by securing the H&W name and workforce in Belfast with MOD business it is making a political statement that the long term future of NI is in the UK. Thirdly, it has augmented UK shipbuilding capacity with access to a source of skills growth. It has probably eased diplomatic tensions over the sovereignty of Gib. And last but by no means least it has kept the FSS project on track. Overall, a good day’s work.
n.b. “a criterion”
Which is fair enough given the condition of the yard and the workforce. We want them ASAP. If we had planned ahead better 10-15 years ago maybe we could have had an “all-British” build, but we are where we are. To be honest it’s the fact that the propulsion plant and many systems won’t be British that concerns me more, that’s what require spares, consumables, and upgrade over the lifetime of the ship, and where a lot of the real value lies, not in fabricating the blocks.
Good news…al last. Full steam ahead? Good news about the RFA settlement too.
Hi Geoff,
Just did a search for RFA pay settlement. Couldn’t find anything new – got a link please?
Cheers CR
There’s an article on this site.
Try this, or just search for RFA https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/rfa-staff-secure-improved-pay-deal-ending-strikes/
Yeo UKDJ under SEA. All the best.
Found it. Great news indeed… Lets hope the RFA can recover in time for the new ships.
Cheers CR
All high value work with the technology elements is being done in Spain. We are just getting grunt heavy engineering
So no mention that Navantia are negotiating an additional 300m increase. We seem to be seeing lots of incremental increases in defence spend with no chance of defence budget increase given the horrific cost of government borrowing. Which can only mean further capability cuts are coming dressed up as refocusing and modernisation.
So – I’m just trying to understand, It is assumed or agreed that Navantia will do the technical work in Spain , and if so why can’t UK Ship yards do that as
well …is it capacity , the particular skills , or just the fact H&W were sold and thus Navantia have to show something to Spain for their investment.
Cheaper for Spain to do it at home
I genuinely don’t get how this country just freely allows foreign government subsidised companies to compete with private companies for contracts. Like RATP for public transport, Navantia for defence, EDF for electricity. How have we let these companies swoop in and unfairly win contracts? Now it remains to be seen whether we are the beneficiaries of such deals, but money draining out of this country is its biggest problem. Everyday I see adverts on the tube to send money to India, to Pakistan, to Bangladesh, to the Middle East. All our appliances are made in China, payment networks send a 2-3% slice of every single payment made in this country to America, it is simply unsustainable unless we do something about it. I am so incredibly disappointed in the short-sighted politicians who can’t see beyond the balance sheet to really make decisions for the future and fund our innovators. This sale to Navantia is just another, slapping UK on the end of the name doesn’t make it any better either.
H&W were bankrupt. What did you want the government to do?
I wanted them not to drive H&W into bankruptcy in the first place. It could have bought up 51% of the shares for £15m and made sure the H&W board were on the up and up as a condition of the £200m loan guarantee.
The government didn’t drive H&W into administration. They did that themselves with a debt-fuelled acquisitions spree and a failure to attract orders. It hadn’t made any profit since 2015.
Ermm nope H&W always needed to borrow to build the FSS that was established 4 years ago. Tories and Labour failed to provide the quarrantee to secure the borrowing. Now the government will pay Navantia 300m more for FSS to bankroll their purchase of H&W.
Surprised RFA isn’t outsourced to Serco or Capita by now!
Perhaps time to consider integrating the RFA into the Royal Navy? They are described as merchantmen but they are totally dedicated to RN and do not perform any services to any other organisation. Also the distinctions between warships, lightly armed ships and supply ships, as with the difference between Destroyers and Frigates for example, have become blurred over the years. The modern RFA conduct patrols, accommodate light weaponry, embark RN helicopters and are painted grey( 🙂 ) The distinction has become blurred. It would also allow these ships to be built in the UK although as we know there are plus and minus factors therein!!
Idea has been floated in the past. Manpower is the main concern as the RN manning system would mean far greater numbers needed compared that that of the RFA. Just the way it is. But ensuring the RFA are paided correctly and given the real working conditions needed to ensure we get the people would be a positive step. A long way to go yet on that one.