The Ministry of Defence recently announced that they intend to buy up to 61 ‘Intercept & Escort Craft’ to respond to incidents and board other vessels.
Further information came to light via the following exchange.
Kevan Jones, Member of Parliament for North Durham, asked:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in the context of his Department’s decision to buy up to 61 new intercept vessels, which vessels they will be replacing; when the Department will tender for the design of those new vehicles; and what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the contract.”
Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, responded:
“A tender was issued on 10 December 2021 for the procurement of up to 61 new intercept vessels. The deadline for tender response is 4 February 2022 after which responses will be assessed against the various assessment criteria. It is expected that the Invitation to Negotiate will be issued in March 2022. The Intercept and Escort Craft project’s aim is to replace the following craft variants:
· Avon Sea Rider
· Pacific 22 and 24
· Arctic 24
· Delta Dive Rigid Inflatable Boats
The project will reduce the number of variants currently operated while upgrading capability. The estimated tender value has been advertised at between £16 million and £26 million.”
We reported earlier that a contract notice was published specifying a firm requirement 36 ‘Intercept & Escort Craft’ craft and an option for an additional 25 craft over a 6 year period.
The specifications for the craft, as listed in the contract notice, are outlined below:
- The capability shall provide a high performance fast response craft.
- The capability shall have a length overall of less than 9.5M and be powered by outboard motors.
- The capability shall be fully operational at very short notice to respond to incidents anywhere within the defined patrol areas in the defined response times and in all environmental conditions.
- The capability shall enable the User to safely undertake the boarding of other vessels (including high-sided vessels) while stationary or underway.
- The capability shall integrate complex communications and navigation systems to enable the User to effectively assimilate and compile the operational picture while underway.
- The craft will be provided with a detachable ballistic protection kit.
You can read more here.
Fingers crossed this contract goes to one of the many, very competent, UK based boat builders.
If the MOD are looking to sell off their old RIBs, there’s a guy in Calais who’s in the market for a load at the right price.
Seaworthyness not necessarily an issue?
EBAY , also has Masking tape at less than BQ retail price
The RN recently bought a bunch of inboard powered Pacific 24s as seaboats, so these are presumably outboard powered RHIBs (it specified outboard in the tender docs)?
Avon Seariders are pretty ancient, they were making them when I was a boy in the 1970s!
Yes, and still being produced 50 years later, but by Zodiac now….
Still got my Smallboats ticket ,
We had them fitted replacing the old 3 in 1 whaler in 83 within 4 months 1 whilst carrying an I S platoon the tube separated from the Hull total write off
Unless the MoD goes with one of the new outboard diesel designs there will be a need to store and dispense large quantities of petrol on all RN warships.
Good point Tim. A serious hazard even in peace time.
When on Hunts we always made sure Jerry can were totally filled up no Vapours half empty cans are more dangerous, Vapours
I imagine all RN warships already carry a small amount of petrol for outboards, I carry some on my 34′ sailing boat for the inflatable – as do most pleasure boats. RN have been using outboard powered Zodiacs since the 1960s. There are some good diesel outboards around. I’m pretty sure many of these will not be used on warships. The inboard diesel powered Pacific 24s bought recently are for suface ships as seaboats. I imagine these are both for use on ships and for harbour duties, to support MCM as dive boats, for RM and SBS
Petrol is kept in a dedicated stowage on the upper deck. Kept in fuel cans , the cans are placed in a stowage that slopes downwards over the side. If you need to ditch the fuel you pull a lever and the whole lot is jettisoned over the side.
Pacific RIBs are diesel powered waterjets so the need for petrol has diminished. Its still used for some outboards but not many but its also used for things like Disaster relief stores like chain saws.
Just like they have to store and dispense even larger amounts of aviation fuel then….
Aviation fuel is just high specification paraffin. Far far less hazardous than petrol. I was told that the Pacific 24 diesel is a multi fuel engine and when used at sea is often run on aviation fuel as it is more suitable for smaller engines than the ships supply on marine diesel.
Considering the inferno you tend to get in an aircraft crash I’m going to carry on classing aviation fuel as fairly hazardous.
AVCAT is far worse than Dieso in a fire. lower flash point and burns way hotter.
Oh great, more English Channel Taxi’s.