Work on replacing HMS Protector is being run under Project Shackleton, and the Defence Investment Plan has allocated funding for a successor to the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative member for Huntingdon, asked what steps the Secretary of State is taking to reach a decision on the method of procurement and on the replacement timeline, following an answer given on 15 September.
Luke Pollard, the Minister of State for Defence, said: “The previous Government’s plan was for HMS Protector to remain in service into the late 2030s and did not provide for a replacement vessel. We judged this approach to be unsustainable and therefore allocated funding within the Defence Investment Plan to deliver a successor capability.
“The Defence Investment Plan includes provision for the replacement of HMS Protector with a more modern vessel. Through Project Shackleton, the Ministry of Defence is undertaking the necessary technical, commercial and delivery analysis to inform decisions on the preferred procurement approach and replacement timeline. Decisions will be taken once this work has concluded.”
Protector came into Royal Navy service in 2011, bought from Norwegian owners as the civilian ice-strengthened vessel Polarbjørn and taken on charter before purchase, and she has carried Britain’s Antarctic presence ever since, running survey work, supporting the British Antarctic Survey and upholding obligations under the Antarctic Treaty.
Protector has now been removed from service.
“The previous government’s approach was unsustainable, so we retired her straight away just after starting the programme”
What is it about HMG that always results in conflating process with progress?
I’m so glad that a delivery analysis to inform decisions is taking place. I was getting worried for a while that decisions weren’t being informed and no deeper understandings reached..
Watching “Yes Minister” allows us to be familiar with the jargon that politicians use.