Team Resolute, a collaboration of Navantia UK, BMT, and Harland & Wolff, has unveiled its refined design for the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship.

This design evolution is a significant phase in the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) £1.6 billion ‘Manufacture Contract’ to build three FSS ships.

These vessels are destined to equip the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) with top-tier capabilities, aiding global missions for the Royal Navy. The design incorporates cutting-edge technology and integrates energy-conserving, emission-reducing solutions, in line with future fuel requirements, all aimed at carbon footprint reduction.

Drawing from BMT’s broad experience in naval projects, the new FSS design ensures compatibility, operability, top-tier safety, and meets the UK MoD’s stringent sustainability standards. It exemplifies the British prowess in design, aligning with the UK’s net-zero goals.

Vice Admiral (Retd) Sir Alan Massey, KCB, CBE, Chairman of Navantia UK, expressed, “This is an important milestone for this critical programme for the Royal Navy. It demonstrates how successfully Team Resolute is working together in boosting UK maritime capabilities…”

Sarah Kenny, OBE, BMT Chief Executive, emphasised the socio-economic benefits of the MoD’s investment, noting, “The MoD’s investment brings significant social and economic value to the UK enabling BMT to create 120 high-skilled jobs…”

Lastly, John Wood, Harland & Wolff Group CEO, also announced plans for the “UK’s most technologically advanced shipyard” in Belfast and the arrival of new apprentices, portraying a bright future for UK’s shipbuilding sector.

Tom Dunlop
Tom Dunlop
Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.

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120 COMMENTS

    • Probably the last RN ships to have any connection with Northern Ireland. If the noises about a united Ireland coming from Dublin are anything to go by.

      • I was born in NI – I have no alignment one way it the other.

        The material problem with reunifying Ireland is money. NI consumes vast piles of UK cash. RoI doesn’t have that sort of cash to shovel North as it economy is tiny compared to the GB economy.

        RoI is dependant on being a tech EU lily pad for US multinational avoiding EU and UK taxation. That might get stopped as the old ‘we are poor so we need to undercut everyone else’ argument isn’t really washing well in Brussels, London or Washington.

        Much as certain section of NI society want out of GB even they are realistic about money flows.

        Let’s not forget the violent ones over there are just organised crime with a sectarian fig leaf.

        • Not any more NI has the highest gdp outside London. NI economy was surging before brexit, but now with the only country with access to both markets its booming fast.

          • Wales has almost twice the population as NI and NE England not sure what you count as that but I suspect many times the population. But fair, I should have said gdp per capita.

            I haven’t checked public expenditure per region, would be interesting to see. Scotland has always had the highest but not sure where NI sits

          • GDP per capita . thats what you’re are referring to ( doesnt make sense otherwise), or does that not matter now it isnt so good after all.
            Its said Irelands GDP per capita is 20% greater than the north, but the experts ignore that as as its been pointed out very large amounts are merely pased through Irish registered companies to avoid taxes in US or Europe.
            Luxembourg plays the same game to even greater extent and Malta now too ( Lufthansa uses it a lot) Netherlands is very good as well, which is why Airbus financial HQ is in office park in Leiden, not Paris or Toulouse

          • They do but the quality of life index for all them countries is very high and much higher than the rest of the UK, which as a normal person is all that matters. I don’t care if companies make huge profits or not, I just care about what what the quality of life is like for the average person, I don’t give a stuff about the top 0.1%

          • The UK has one of the worst wealth distribution of any country in the g7 and most of the g20, all the wealth is stuck with the mega rich and very little flow down, no matter what truss etc believe.

          • really ? you have a source for that? as from what ive seen of the world we have a very high standard of living down here in the working class

          • Incorrect, we have the most progressive taxation in the world (e.g. the average person pays far less in then in most countries) https://ifs.org.uk/taxlab/taxlab-key-questions/how-do-uk-tax-revenues-compare-internationally#:~:text=By%20contrast%2C%20the%20UK%20average,smaller%20than%20for%20median%20earners.

            We have the opposite problem, too much wealth is ‘redistributed’ in an environment which is anti business and anti wealth creation and its why 600,000 rich people left the UK last year (a record amount) and were replaced by 1.2m poor people (another record amount)

          • Fact check that. It’s not about tax, it’s about buying power of wage and wage levels. I’m basing it on dozens of independent sites that you can Google and having lived in various countries.

            Norway has very high tax levels but their standard of living is way higher than ours, because the taxes give them better value

        • Spot on SB!

          I am also from Northern Ireland – born and raised through the Troubles.

          If anyone thinks the ‘violent ones’ as you put it, are going away quietly if there is a united Ireland, they are delusional. Their agenda is money and power. In the words of Jerry Adams when the IRA declared their ceasefire after the Good Friday Agreement, ‘They haven’t gone away you know!’.

          • Yes. Soon as they got independence in 1922 they started a civil war where the Dublin national government was far more brutal than the departed British . Firing squads were very busy , something like 75 executions over the 10 months it lasted, in many cases no trails even some anti treaty politicians in jail at the start of the ‘troubles’ thus didnt partake , were shot without trial.

          • Indeed Duker. Many not from Ireland don’t understand the difference between the civil war and the “other Civil War” between the Green and the Orange😆

          • You are aware that violence continued in NI as well during this period, with shootings, street burnings, forced movement of peoples as well?

          • Yes, civil wars tend to be ugly as hell the world over. Though I would argue that you are splitting hairs between Government Policy of Action in the Free State, and Government Policy of Inaction in NI that allowed the violence there (including by Government security forces)

          • Ask those 70 or so people executed by the Free State , mostly without trial , some even in prison before the Treaty split began about splitting hairs. Sure people in the north driven from homes and jobs, but large scale executions a different matter
            The main comparison was the British executions after the easter Uprising, supposedly caused an uproar- for those that didnt see the destruction in Dublin. An armed rebellion in wartime isnt going to end very pretty

          • Morning David! Didn’t realise there were so many of us in the UKDJ😃 On matters Defence, there was an RAF admin facility on the Shore Road in Jordanstown near my Grandparents cottage where we used to play as kids in their big section of open ground!

          • Hey Geoff, good to hear from you.

            Since we’re speaking of all things defence in NI, during my first year at Queens my bedroom window directly overlooked the army barracks on the Malone Road as we were literally right next door! I often thought I’d get smoked if it ever got hit one night but ah well… HA!

          • Hi David! The hazards of living in the time of the troubles! Speaking to my ex RUC cousin in Donaghadee tonight on video call. He was injured at a roadblock during those years.
            Queens-fine university. All the best.
            Thanks George for indulging us🙂

          • My dad used to teach at Queens – many moons ago.

            The campus was alway a sterile zone for the troubles.

        • Morning SB. All my family-Mother, Father, Uncles, Aunts, cousins aplenty were born in and around Belfast. I was born in London but across the water every year to Antrim. For me it is just a cultural thing-British and 6 counties from an early age-it is that simple. Married RC/Jewish wife so nothing sectarian.
          Cheers from Durban

      • I live in the ROI, near Dublin. The average person here has no strong interest in a unified “all-island Ireland”, but there is a general feeling that it’s now inevitable, and that it could happen very quickly – e.g. if a weak minority government in the UK agreed to a referendum as the price for Sinn Fein support (a historical but no longer unthinkable development).

        A Brexit deal that has left NI and its population in a frustrating “worst of all worlds” limbo is the biggest reason union has become plausible, but other factors include the greater economic success of the south, the disastrous political failure at Stormont, and changes in NI demographics that favour Irish nationalists and republicans. 

        • At this point it would be better from the rest of the UK for NI to unify as both the UK and EU is bending over backwards to maintain the good Friday agreement, at the cost of their own markets. It is however upto the people of NI, if they want unification they should have it whether its good or not for the rest of the UK

          • Most people in the UK don’t care much either way to keep NI especially given the cost, it’s not like Scotland leaving it won’t split the island of Great Britain so won’t affect anyone other than the financial savings.

            Thanks to common travel area they won’t even have to show a passport to go to NI.

        • Be careful what you wish for Richard, or the feudal mobs in NI will become Dublin’s problem!

          As anyone who believes in democracy should, the question should be put in a referendum, if enough of the people in Northern Ireland want too, it should be followed by a vote.

          It’s entirely up to the majority. I fear you will just see a rise in Unionist violence instead, but that’s Ireland’s problem to deal with I guess….

          • I’m not wishing for anything – I’m trying very hard as an UK citizen living long-term in the ROI to sit on the fence!

          • Shouldn’t it really be the decision of both countries?

            Would seem a little one sided to just get the opinion of those in NI in a referendum then dump them onto ROI. A joint referendum result with both countries having their say might be a good way to do it if it was going to happen.

          • Well quite, so first a referendum on the question, held seperatly in the Republic and NI, assuming both vote yes, then a following vote in NI.

            That’s the only way it could work….

          • Any change in NI constitutional arrangements- ie belonging to UK- requires “parallel consent” from both protestant and catholic , not just an overall majority
            Thats not going to happen

          • No it doesn’t, the GFA just has it as a majority, some have argued a 50+1 isn’t fair and it should be as you suggested but that’s not what is in the Agreement.

          • Thanks my mistake. The referendums on border for majority decision is separate British legislation 1998 Northern Ireland Act

        • I’m sure one of the reasons the Unionists are blocking the sitting of Stormont is that they know Sinn Fein will push for an assembly vote on unification. Motivated to keep Scotland in the UK a future Labour government could force the issue …say initiate constitutional reform – a new devolution settlement which would also apply to Wales and NI: possibly an English parliament and an elected 2nd chamber / senate. You could imagine a scenario where Stormont, had it not already done so, would have to reconvene in order to vote on whether to stay in such a reconfigured UK or unify with the ROI. ..difficult to see how a referendum could be avoided in those circumstances.
          As you say its looking inevitable now….the Brexit cloud has a silver lining 🙂

          • The UK desperately needs a new constitutional settlement anyway but primarily in northern England.

            Just give wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland equal parliaments with an English parliament in York and make London and the home counties a Federal territory then job done.

            Like all the Federal countries we set up around the world.

          • The elephant in the room and the font et origo of the ‘ Irish problem’ is the Act of Succession which labels catholics as second class citizens. This is the reason French inspired republicanism was able to take hold and why Sinn Fein retains the loyalty of catholics despite having adopted populist policies like gay marriage and abortion.

          • Those anti catholic provisions were removed a while back, many other changes in last 170 years too to remove other laws that circumscribed catholics

            Royal family members who marry catholics are not longer disqualified
            Thats not the reason for Sinn Fein sucess , they are just a left wing party nowdays .
            In the Republic it was unusual as the two main parties for a long time were both centre right. SF has risen on being a normal left wing party

          • Yes, I agree that today Sinn Fein is the Irish analogue to GB Labour. And that the Catholic emancipation Act passed in 1829. But movements like the Orange Order and the self styled ‘Royal’ Black Order have as their signature characteristics that membership is restricted to protestants. Theirs is the mindset which ensures the continuence of legislation which does not permit Charles to convert to Catholicism and remain as head of state. What the Settlement does is subtly to legitimise a mindset of exclusivity and privilege. We in GB have accommodated ourselves to it through the bloodshed of the Reformation, the Civil War and Empire. But the Irish had the geographic advantage of distance from London, feudal Lords who did not roll over when attempts were made to foist upon them a faith they did not want and the inspiration of the French republic. Liberty, egalité and fraternité . That resistance to being made to conform your soul to that of Westminster and Whitehall and the deep knowledge and belief that all men are equal under a God is still there.

          • Very good points
            One thing I remember that after 1922 catholic dominancy was enforced in the Free state. Divorce was banned and many other provisions for Priest rule such as education and morality.
            In 1911 the south counties was 90% catholic and 1971 was 94%

          • There are many reasons for that beyond the power of the Church in that period, many of the Protestant community either a) were connected to “British administration” positions and left as those were wound down, b) were due to their minority population proportionally far more affected by the losses in WW1, or c) had other options for emigration considering the economic disaster for much of that period.

            Its also worth noting that NI wasn’t exactly a welcome house for Catholics even before the Troubles either.

          • Putting the church in charge of state education ? restricting contraception acess as late as the 70s

            that stopped in England back in the 1860s?
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland
            Many provisions remained until the 1970s and was a centre of protestant political derision in the north. Its what they meant by ‘popery’ , rule by the backwardness of the then church and priests.
            nowdays the republic is far more liberal than the north !

          • Again, you do realise that NI’s education has been religiously segregated since 1922 and still remains mostly this way today?

            And nobody is suggesting that the 20s to 90s weren’t pretty awful in the Republic if you weren’t in the Church, all I posted was NI was a Cold place of a different kind for Catholics, something even Unionist politicians of the day and today can admit to as well.

          • Im not in Ireland but where I live there are catholic schools. its a choice for parents they are state funded for operations and teacher salaries but not building costs.
            Its parents choice to go to a denominational school. And Catholic school system are a worldwide thing not just Ireland

            How did that work out in the Republic after 1922 ? Didnt priests run the state school system

          • Until the Reformation in England the monks in the monasteries delivered education, mostly to the nobility. Many famous independent schools trace their charitable history to that time. The history of education in England is a good read. Through to the 19C the C of E controlled most schools.
            I agree that the catholic faith is stronger now in the North than the South. Fitting perhaps since Patrick probably crossed from Strathclyde rather than Fishguard. And Scotland was evangelised from NI. I find it useful to parse the 3 threads; like unplaiting a rope – Irish culture, catholicism and republicanism. I had a (catholic) Irish girlfriend who told the Sinn Fein leadership to their face that she would not vote for them because of their stance on abortion. She also gave night school classes in protestant schools to teach her audience about the Irish republican movement that was strangled at birth. Funny old world.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Joy_McCracken

          • Don’t forget the south west..it’s not just a north south split in the UK…it’s really a north, southeast, London, southwest split each has its own issues….places like Devon, Somerset, Cornwall are closer to areas like Northumberland in their issues than the south east ( when I do health care design work I’m normally swapping ideas with the rural north not the south east or even worse London)…infact one of the big problems the NHS has at present is command and control from London forcing poorer rural counties with very low population density and poor infrastructure to do what London does ( also most of the health money goes to London as a percentage per person..with more Dr, Nurses and hospital beds per head than the rest of England).

          • Agree 100% James-that was always my idea for the future of the UK. Westminster cannot and should not be a UK house and some sort of ad hoc English House at the same time-an utter absurdity!

          • No, apart from their issues with Brexit (that they helped bring about), is that they don’t want a SF First Minister. That’s just basically it. It doesn’t matter what Stormont might vote, the decision rests solely with the British Government to call a vote at a period when they decide it might pass.

        • Hi Richard. What you say is the reality and an outcome I hope doesn’t happen in my lifetime. Mu daughter lives in Cork-I have told her to avoid whistling the Sash😂 On subject, Harland and Woolf was an Ulster giant in my youth

        • UK government is not required to agree to a referendum, its part of the Good Friday agreement, if majority in NI want a referendum they get one.

          • Actually the UK Government decides when that threshold of “a majority” wants a referendum, and the criteria for that is for the UK Government to decide, ie is it polling? or Nationalist MPs returned, Nationalist MLAs? Only London decides that.

      • Dublin has wanted a united Ireland since 1922, they only agreed to the split as they thought it wasnt economically viable for north and wouldnt last. The intial county borders was supposed to even further reduced by excluding more catholic areas, but dropped that when Britain offered to keep it in return for Ireland not having to take a share of the previous UK national debt!
        However the Good Friday agreement requires ‘parallel consent from both communities’ both in government – hence the previous coalitions of DUP and SF- and future changes.
        That rules out any Scotland type referendum where a bare majority wins.

        • Please leave referendums that have huge implications away from the public as they all mean different things to different people. If the public are so great at deciding things there should be referendums on every issue. Everyone can take part every day in government decision making.

          • Ah another- democracy is only useful when they make the right decisions- supporter.

            You might also like the Asian style democracy – one party government as in almost all Japanese elections, all Singapore elections, a long history in South Korea too.
            Chinese version is the leninist-party-state model has taken much from that ( yes they do have some very small non CP Mps)

          • There are other options around democracy you don’t just have to live at either end of the continuum of direct democracy or totalitarian state…infact almost all democracies live in the middle, as direct democracy tends to fuel political violence and hatred, where the minority are held in tyranny. It’s why we have parliamentary democracy in this county and our experiments in direct democracy have alway been a bit problematic. You need to have checks and balances..so you can make sure the majority do not decide to do something really nasty….infact one of the favoured tools of the totalitarian is direct democracy….Hitler used it as has Putin.

            Whatever your beliefs around being in the EU or not, all evidence has shown that the events around the EU referendum did not strengthen our democracy. it infact massively eroded trust in democratic institutions ( on both sides of the debate…) and has been used by our enemies to sow discontent.

          • Hmmm. The UK and other countries have representative democracy where …people are elected to represent the voters.

            Love to know where you ascribe direct democracy to being used by Hitler and Putin Its a silly claim just like the one that it does bad things in the Brexit referendum.

            EU countries have had many referendums- 48 in total some over the expansions in powers – so thats a great idea when they approve ? of course when they reject theres go around anyway. Norway rejected EU membership but became totally aligned in practice

            Forget about those 48 EU related direct democracy instances ? Check them out
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_related_to_the_European_Union
            Joining the EU was usually a referendum itself including UK

            You are quite totalitarian in your Brexit views. Every one else has moved on and its much as before.

          • It’s unwise to call people silly unless you are very sure of your facts and sorry your entirely out of your knowledge base of you are saying I’m silly to say Hitler and Putin have not used referendum and direct democracy as a way to control a population … and did I in any way state anything one way or the other about the outcome of Brexit…no I did not…I was taking about the process and how it has damaged faith in our democracy..on all sides..at no time did I make a judgement call on Brexit ( personally I cannot still on balance decide if it was good bad or whatever…as it’s a balance of what you think is important…greater national sovereignty or greater opportunity to trade…there is no specific right answer)…but there is a really good set of evidence on reduced trust and faith in our democratic process post the referendum, be that Brexit voter faith or remain voter faith ( personally I would have liked to have seen the political parties actually decide and run with a Brexit or remain manifesto in a general election and go with the winner of that vote)…

            so let’s just go with the actual historic facts and not just call people silly shall we….

            Hitler and direct democracy:

            1933 referendum on withdrawal from the League of Nations
            1934 referendum merging the post of chancellor and president
            1936 referendum on the remilitarisation of the Rhine land
            1938 referendum on an all Nazi election list
            1938 referendum on the annexation of Austria

            There is a reason that federal level referendum have significant restrictions in the German constitution ( there are only two cases in which a federal referendum is allowed).

            There are some really good academic papers on direct democracy and the third Reich as a tool for the jobbing totalitarian state….
            The Hitler Referenda, Arnold J. Zurcher, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Feb., 1935), pp. 91-99 (9 pages),Published By: American Political Science Association
            As for Putin anyone who reads the news has seen his use of the referendum.

            2020 Russian constitutional referendum, of which the most impactful part was the removal on the limit of how many terms the president could stay on…this referendum effectively made Putin president for life ( no more having to be priminister for a bit and risk someone else getting control).
            2022 Donetsk republic referendum
            2022 Luhansk republic referendum
            2022 Kherson oblast referendum
            2022 Zaporizhzhia referendum

            so I will accept an apology for being called silly.

          • What about those 48 direct democracy referendums regarding EU matters in those countries
            2 were for withdrawal which won- Greenland and Britain

            UK also now has direct democracy for recall of Mps – does that weaken or strengthen democracy.
            5 have taken place , 4 resulted in Mp being sacked usually for some dodgy conduct that didnt result in reaching the expulsion threshold. Some say Boris resigned as an Mp to avoid a possible recall!!
            I wasnt aware of the details of the German referendums under Hitler , but the 90% plus figures themselves show they were a farce not being a referendum itself a problem. The last one was only one question, a sort of mass vote for Hitler and his NSDAP party to be members of Reichstag

            Direct elections of Presidents are also direct democracy, a terrible or great idea.
            Macron for one , also has power to pass laws by decree that werent passed by National Assembly – I think used a dozen times.
            France has had 12 national referendums since the war- a terrible idea or a good one
            One was for independence for Algeria – very divisive beyond what UK could imagine at the time- but 75% in favour. Direct election of President was approved in 1962

            So in summary , direct democracy is bad because of Brexit and Hitler and Putin
            ignoring all the other direct democracy actions such as referenda and direct presidential election or recall of Mps.

        • No, the split was “agreed” before there was even a Treaty, the UK terms were presented to the Irish delegation and that was basically that. There was a boundary commission but that had already been “stacked” and actually suggested growing NI, one of the reasons why it was shelved.

          And no that isn’t what the GFA requires, not even close. The largest Nationalist and Unionist parties are required to form a Coalition Government and can’t operate without the other being present. But that is for Governing. The GFA has no suggestion that it requires both communities to vote for a change in the Constitutional Position, only that its a majority.

          • Of course they had to negotiate before signing a treaty

            Ulster historically had 9 counties not 6, so already some down sizing for the ‘provisional border’
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Boundary_Commission
            “Most Irish nationalists hoped for a considerable transfer of land to the Free State, on the basis that most border areas had nationalist majorities. However, the commission recommended relatively small transfers, and in both directions. This was leaked to The Morning Post in 1925, causing protests from both unionists and nationalists.
            To avoid the possibility of further disputes, the British, Free State, and Northern Ireland governments agreed to suppress the overall report, and on 3 December 1925, instead of any changes being made, the existing border was confirmed by W. T. Cosgrave for the Free State, Sir James Craig for Northern Ireland, and Stanley Baldwin for the British government, as part of a wider agreement which included a resolution of outstanding financial disagreements.[3] 

            The last one was the sharing of UK national debt, which didnt happen
            Dont know who suggested NI would ‘grow’- wouldnt make any sense as the 6 counties border areas were already mostly catholic
            “Collins was said to believe that the commission would cede almost half of the area of Northern Ireland while Craig was assured that the Boundary Commission would only make small adjustments”

      • Believe it when I see it. There is an undeniable fact that a large number of people in Northern Ireland don’t want union with the south. Its probably best to continue as is now, an uneasy peace but a peace nevertheless.

      • One can smell Political Male Cow Manure wafting across the Irish Sea. Precisely how would Southern Ireland with a population of 5 million + 900,000 NI Nationalists cope with 1 million seriously pissed off Unionists ? And if anyone thinks they disarmed, I don’t think so.
        It can’t even crew it’s OPV’s 🥴
        Eire Politicians have made noises about this for a century, but in reality it is their Greatest Nightmare.

        • At last someone who knows reality and can say so in a few sentences! Dublin does not want, and can not handle thousands of unionists from the North!

          • I come from a small village in Galloway and when you visit the smaller towns, villages and farms the similarities are striking. The same faces, houses, Kirk’s and Churches and the same sense of humour (Dry as a good Muscadet).
            Unfortunately we also have the same sectarian issues and the idea of a United Ireland being imposed on the Unionists is just not a thought to have if you want a good nights sleep.
            But IMHO the best weapon against such a move is a revitalised H&W, expanded defence related inward investment at Thales, BAe etc. Jobs and economic security count in a lot of voters minds.

        • What makes you think all of those that are Unionist would be “seriously pissed off”? The Belfast Telegraph had an interesting interview with one of the founding members of the DUP and extremely conservative Protestant. And guess what? He actually wants to be involved in the discussion of a “New Ireland”, thinks its actually inevitable. The UUP Leader openly stated that he knows fellow Unionists that are “Unification curious”.

    • It seems there is no great desire to achieve that. Its a container ship and could be designed and built in a year if there was a desire to do so, but both parties are happy to have constant multimillion pound contracts detailing the next phase and never putting down the real capital.

      • It’s not really a container ship. U don’t want to carry loads of different ammunition’s in a container ship. Bombs and ammo are heavy and explosive. They require weapon lifts, blast proof sections, isolation of compartments. Being able to take a blast in one area without it cascading into the rest of ship. Replenishment equipment, being able to move stores from magazines to the deck safely and so on.

      • What?
        A container ship…Ok I will have a pint of what you are drinking.

        I have worked on USNS ships such as Lewis and Clarke boats. They are a similar design to the Resolute boats. I have also worked on commercial VL Container boats.

        Massive centre line lifts from the 4 or 5 decks of holds and there are 4-5 holds, to the main deck. Huge cold storage rooms (Chilled and Frozen) Internal roadway, lined with temp dry and cold stores that allows the movement of items from the lifts to temp storage and then to the RAS points. Small store shelving and stowage for Fleet Units ready use stores, massive inventory management system, Access to a hangar and flight deck via the road. Massive internal firefighting capacity for the ammunition stowage’s which all meet magazine safety requirements. Lots of forklifts for moving stuff (L&C boats carry 40 forklifts!), Rigging Areas and rigging gear for making up RAS loads.

        So except for all the above and a few more besides …yep exactly like a container ship.

        • OK I was over simplifying but they are significantly less complex than a war ship. We are now at the 8 year mark of the design phase and still no real progress.

          • In some ways more complex than a warship TBH

            Huge magazines that you can forklift items out of. Protection from sympathetic detention and DC.

            Sure you can design and use a container ship: HMS Deathtrap.

            Look what happened to Atlantic Conveyor – that is what you get for putting container ships with munitions in hot war zones.

    • They have already begun the uplift in capacity for H&W – can’t build anything without a worksforce. The design also is key. Hopefully the Spanish component can be built quickly as the yard is large and experienced and then H&W can get up to speed fast enough at Belfast and Appledore to build their less complex blocks and be in good shape for final integration. A sub-set of the Navantia – H&W bid is recapitalising H&W so we have more cpacity to build more ships more quickly in the future. Without investment that will never be possible.

  3. Vice Admiral (Retd) Sir Alan Massey, KCB, CBE, Chairman of Navantia UK

    New project for UK Defence:
    List all the Defence companies managed by former Braid, pollies and fmr Civil Serpents.

    That would be an eye opener.

    • Allen Massey was the captain of HMS Illustrious when I was ships company on her during 2001/2. He was an excellent Captain. And a good man.

      • It wasn’t my point Robert; my point was people leaving the service and going onto senior positions in the defence industry.

      • Or actually understand what and where the market for warships and military vessels is going….it’s the whole who needs experts paradigms which have plagued various industrial and public sectors….instead replaced with general managers with a generic management skill set and no real understanding what they are trying lead.

          • I was trying to be nice…but your right..I’m not a fan of generic manager types with no profound understanding of the industry they work in…just a management qualification.

  4. The FSS look like Tides only a bit bigger- ergo get them built and quickly. We need these ships now really as Fort Vic is getting seriously long in the tooth and fatigued.

  5. Is it just me that the upsurge of shipbuilding in Scotland came about due to a need to combat nascent SNP independence moves in 2014.
    And here we are again, Irish Politicians talking up unification and the counter is to pretty well underwrite the resurgence of large shipbuilding, repair and maintenance at H&W.
    Think about it Frigates and Destroyers built in Scotland, RFA and future Amphibious built in Belfast, SSN/SSBN built and refitted in England it all makes sense.
    Plus I am willing to bet that if H&W do a decent job of the builds, they land the next maintenance contract for the QE’s. After all they would just happen to have the largest 24/7/365 access dry dock in the U.K complete with Samson & Delilah.

    • I would say that the shipbuilding in Scotland came about because BAE and Babcock decided to base there shipbuilding yards in scotland not because of politics. The navy needed new ships and those 2 ship builders were picked. The companies choose the location of building.
      The river batch 2 were only really built because of delays to frigate replacements. The government would of either had to pay the shipyard to do nothing or build something. A good decision now the rivers are in service but I think the navy just wanted its frigates ASAP.
      Ideally we will see enough work to keep the 3 yards running at efficient build rate. Maximising value for money.

      • Hi Monkey Spanner as a Scot I can categorically assure you it was a purely political decision and attempts to back track on it have always been discouraged (being very polite there).
        https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/12/michael-fallon-royal-navy-frigate-clyde-scotland-shipyards-zambellas

        It was a key part of the “Better together” campaign for the 2014 referendum in Scotland. At that point it was a straight up and down promise of 13 T26 frigates all to be built on the Clyde, interestingly it had been announced by Philip Hammond when he was Defence Secretary.
        At that point BAe were going to build them on a single site and invest in a brand new frigate Factory at Scotstoun (it has the Drrdocks). But in 2015 the order was reduced to 8 and nothing was heard of the Frigate Factory at Scotstoun again.
        To put it bluntly all hell broke loose and the T31 project was announced and again promised to Scotland to make up the numbers.
        And this isn’t a recent occurrence, who in their right minds would have built the QE’s at Rosyth ? Gordon Browne who just happened to be the MP for the neighbouring constituency.
        Access issues, every single Mega block built on the west or south coasts, zero shipbuilding experience, no adequate modern cranes and a Drydock that is a wee bit tight.
        So that is where they were built and a contract signed that not even Cameloon and Oddborne dared break.
        Anyone with a brain cell would have picked either H&W or Inchgreen.

  6. Stop fucking about, get them contracted and get them built! The next 3-5 years will see a serious shift in the supposed peace on this planet we all occupy and shit will start to roll downhill quite quickly!

  8. It’s a tad worrying that this much time and money is required for a couple of supply ships, and that so much blurb has been put out about ‘sustainability standards’- rather than anything about the practical capabilities of the ships that necessitate such an expensive effort. Suggests some badly skewed priorities.

  9. I’m sure that all this is very worthy… particularly the social economic benefits but warfighters need the capability ASAP and not worry who has a wider social benefit

  10. HMG ,MOD get move on .Can’t build ships over night 🌙 but for heavens sake smell the coffee ☕ and Get on with it conflicts on the horizon .🙄 🇬🇧 🚀

    • The snails pace progress on the FSSS is clearly (a) deliberate and (b) due primarily to lack of budget.

      The RN’s equipment budget, surface ships, has soared to over £2bn a year. That includes all equipment repair and replacement, mid-life refits etc, under half is available for new construction.

      The T26 and T31 programmes are already consuming the available budget, there is very little left for minor warships and RFAs. What is left is now funding the new MCMV motherships and the new surveillance ship, so the FSSS needs to wait patiently in the queue.

      That is life unfortunately, when you have to cram in £5bn every year for the nuclear programme and subs, following an enforced holiday on building surface ships due to cramming in £7bn of carriers.

      The bottom line is that the equipment budget is way too small to fund a modern-ish 60-ship navy. (The RAF and Army are even worse off).

      • That’s right there want ship’s aircraft ,Tanks AFVs etc but the Budget far to small , really need to Get that Defence spending up to 3% .But has you know bad economy then no no chance, but I do wonder with our government even if we were in a better place would if make any difference to HMG ?

      • Even without the budget issues, there’s also the time needed to bring H&W up to where they need to be, or go Foreign for at least 1 or 2 of them if you want it earlier.

  11. This ship needs to have a propulsion system that is flexible with good acceleration and stopping distance with the ability to use full rudder at high speeds. Anyone who has ever commanded a large vessel conducting replenishments and operating in Task groups knows this. A container ship is not the answer. My biggest concern is the lack of RAS rigs and sufficient holds to carry the variety munitions required to keep Carriers, LPD’s/MROSS, Type 45, Type 31, Type 26 and Type 32 plus what will be left of the Type 23’s. These ships need a proper multi spot Flight Deck to airlift Ammo whilst RAS rigs are used both sides.

  12. I see Mordunt just unveiled 3 new training, research and trade vessels to be built in the UK. These are already being labeled “Royal Yachts” by the press.

    • The Royal Family deserve another Royal Yacht, and some of us would be proud to pay for it. I hope the proposal works and that it turns out some fine-looking vessels.

      • The reason why the term Royal Yacht is being used is to discredit the who concept and make them look like they have no other purposes and thus a waste of money.

  13. Why? What’s wrong with using ‘Tanker’ hulls? It’s about replenishing ships at sea, it’s not rocket science!

    Why does it have to cost £1.6 billion+++? Are tory thieves and their friends getting their contracts in and signed off before they are kicked out next year??

    £1.6 billion… I cant even count that hight (up to 11 at the last count) Yet another tory lead smash and grab of Taxpayers money.

    The ones we have will do for the next 12 months or so, until the current scumbags are voted out! and breathe…

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