SubscribeVT's project to supply a new Falklands Islands patrol vessel for the Royal Navy, combined with VT Naval Support's established Contractor Logistics Support Service (CLS), will break new ground in the provision and support of naval vessels.
VT Naval Support has a worldwide reputation for effective CLS but the challenges presented by the operation of an 80m. Offshore Patrol Vessel Helicopter - OPV(H) some 6,000 miles away will be unique.
The project to replace the current two Castle Class ships, HMS Leeds Castle and HMS Dumbarton Castle, highlights all the advantages of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme.
Without needing to make capital expenditure, the MoD will get one modern ship to replace two vessels, each of which are over 20 years old. The new vessel will be available for as many days at sea as the other two combined.
The principle of ownership and charter will be similar to that used by VT and the MoD to re-equip the Fishery Protection fleet. The three River Class ships - HMS Tyne, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey - have replaced five Island Class vessels but without the MoD owning the asset. Instead, VT retains ownership of the ships and charters them for a period of five years; added to this is a daily charge for full Contractor Logistics Support.
The fundamental element of the charter and CLS service is that VT Naval Support gets paid by results. Only when the ships are available for MoD tasking is the MoD liable for costs, working to a minimum requirement that VT must make each ship available for 320 days a year; this demands a comprehensive, capable and effective CLS organisation which has a demonstrable track record.
In the first year, the River Class ships achieved 97.5 per cent availability of the required number of operational days, compared to an average of 82 per cent availability for the ships that they replaced. Besides availability, the quality of accommodation on board and operational effectiveness have both underlined the value of the design and the package that VT has put together to provide such an innovative solution.
The comprehensive CLS process has precedence in the Echo Class survey ships, HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise. Although a capital expenditure by the MoD, VT Naval Support again provides an extensive 25-year CLS programme for the ships, including the presence of a VT-sponsored reserve on board to carry out first-line maintenance of the ships' complex electronic systems.
The OPV (H) - HMS Clyde - will represent a step further in the provision of effective customer focussed support. With a fully Integrated Project Team (IPT) of VT Shipbuilding, VT Naval Support and DLO representatives, the exacting demands and specifications required for this vessel will be met. Lessons learned have been incorporated in the design, whilst the partnering arrangements established across the stakeholder community have further enhanced the effectiveness of the project team in delivering a quality product.
The OPV(H) is an enhanced River Class design with a helicopter deck capable of accepting helicopters up to the size of the new Merlin aircraft, increased accommodation to cater for an embarked force, a bigger gun, higher levels of survivability and surveillance radar. The 81.5 metre design, displacing 1854 tonnes at full load, is built with increased watertight subdivisions for a higher level of survivability, and incorporates active fin stabilisers to improve sea-keeping and expand the operating envelope for helicopter operations.
She will accommodate a crew of 40 (six officers, eight senior rates and 26 junior rates), berthed in single or twin berth cabins with en suite facilities. There will be additional accommodation for up to 18 extra personnel which could be an embarked military force, trainees or headquarters staff.
Using the same principle as the River Class, she will be funded by VT and chartered to the Ministry of Defence for a period of five years. At the end of that period, the agreement can either be extended, the ship purchased outright or returned to VT.
VT Naval Support will be required to make the ship available for sea for at least 282 days a year through a round-the-clock, global maintenance commitment including repairs and spares. The Minor Warships Auxiliaries and Boats IPT (MWAB) says the River Class programme is providing valuable experience for the latest project.
HMS Clyde is the first ship constructed in the Portsmouth Naval Base since 1967 when the Leander Class frigate HMS Andromeda was built. The catalyst for this renaissance in shipbuilding was the move in 2003 of VT Shipbuilding to £50 million state-of-the-art facilities which are among the most advanced in Europe. VT is also building sections of the Royal Navy' s new Type 45 destroyer at Portsmouth but HMS Clyde is the first complete ship to emerge from the giant assembly halls at the site.
Larry Purkiss, CLS Manager for the Defence Logistics Organisation's, comments:
"VT and the UK MOD have, in partnering, worked together to develop the policies and procedures to deliver whole ship Contractor Logistic Support for the River Class OPVs and Echo Class Survey vessels.
This has enabled the ships to exceed the very challenging availability targets and delivered significant cost savings for the MOD. The working relationship continues to mature and the lessons learned are proving invaluable in the development of the support solution for HMS Clyde, which will be deployed full time in the Falkland Islands.
The success that has been achieved with this innovative approach to whole ship support is attracting genuine worldwide interest and VT can be justified in claiming that they are world leaders in this field."
In all VT Naval Support's CLS work, partnering is an essential principle and delivering a successful River Class project has involved close collaboration between the contractor (VT), customer (IPT, ship) and other interfaces. Similarly, the provision of the OPV (H) will see VT work to an agreed set of stringent Key Performance Indicators that will incentivise the company to deliver against the contract specification in terms of vessel availability to ensure that it earns its daily fee. For its part, VT has carefully assessed the risks and developed a support solution that minimises its exposure.
VT will utilise modern automated equipment and commercial maintenance practices. Major elements of the CLS process will include maintenance management systems, interactive technical publications, configuration control and obsolescence management, supported by a dedicated organisation of VT personnel in the South Atlantic and the UK.
VT OPV (H) Project Manager Richard Labone explains:
"The quality of the River Class and the comprehensive support package that we provide mean that the RN can concentrate purely on operational requirements instead of being burdened with day-to-day maintenance and support issues.
This unique agreement places the onus on the contractor to support his product through-life. By utilising our experience in CLS built up over several years, we can ensure that the RN gets the ship it requires when required."
However, the challenge of providing a CLS system for a ship operating so far away provides an additional test of VT's logistics capabilities. VT already has a strong presence in the Falklands Island through a team that maintains power generating facilities and strategic communications. Those staff, personnel on board the ship and other regional resources will all play a key role in keeping the ship at the maximum levels of availability.
Another VT-sponsored reserve will also be deployed to work alongside the ship's crew managing certain maintenance aspects, effectively managing the CLS element in situ. Besides manpower, another pressing challenge will be the fast transit of spares beyond those available on board or ashore. VT will rely on military or commercial transport links to get materials into theatre quickly.
Although most maintenance will be carried out at sea or on short stays at Mare Harbour or Port Stanley, there will be a requirement at times for longer periods of maintenance. The ship is built to Det Norske Veritas (DNV) rules which require stringent inspections and surveys. With the likelihood that the ship will never return to UK waters throughout her operating life, VT Naval Support is looking at various regional options to offer suitable docking facilities. However, it is anticipated that thorough and effective maintenance will ensure that such extreme cases are kept to a minimum.
Operating at such a long distance from UK waters and in harsh weather conditions for much of the year will be demanding. Nevertheless, the support services and shipbuilding arms of VT are confident that they can fulfil the requirement and provide the MoD with a cheaper and more robust South Atlantic patrol presence than is currently deployed.
Taking on such a challenge has already attracted interest from overseas. The River Class design and this latest development are regarded as ideal ships to fulfil the Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) patrol duties that all maritime nations must now adhere to. The addition of an all-embracing CLS function makes the VT solution an even more attractive proposition for navies looking at these types of ships.
HMS Clyde was formally named in a spectacular evening ceremony at VT Shipbuilding's facilities on 7th September 2006 before hand-over in November for UK sea trials and training. She is due to begin operations in the South Atlantic in the spring of 2007.
This story is based on articles that have previously appeared in Military Logistics International (Jan/Feb 2006) and MoD Contracts Bulletin (Vol. 4 No. 8 April 2006). All photographs are VT Group plc or Crown Copyright.
