Shipbuilding firms chosen for Fleet Solid Support competition
A syndicate of British firms, along with four international shipbuilding companies, have been selected to compete for the Fleet Solid Support ships contract, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced.
The syndicate includes Birkenhead-based shipyard Cammell Laird, and BAE Systems, which operates a substantial marine operation in Barrow-in-Furness.
The crucial vessels, which will deliver ammunition, food and supplies to UK forces across the globe, will work alongside the Royal Navy’s fleet of warships and will be an important part of the UK Maritime Task Group.
The British consortium is made up of leading manufacturing and engineering companies Babcock, BAE Systems, Cammell Laird and Rolls-Royce.
They join Italian firm Fincantieri, Spanish company Navantia, Japan Marine United Corporation, and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering of South Korea as the five successful firms who have been invited to submit a tender for the competition.
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said: “The widespread interest in this competition shows that our Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary remain among the most prestigious in the world.
These support ships will be vital for supporting our formidable Queen Elizabeth Class carriers and will ensure our warships can deploy in a range of challenging environments and across huge distances, wherever they are in the world.”
The five companies, which were selected from eight interested firms, will now develop bids before a final decision is made regarding the winning bidder in 2020.
The Fleet Solid Support ships, up to three of which will be procured through international competition as they are not warships, will be fitted with specialist and classified equipment at a British shipyard before entering service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 2026.
Shipyards across the United Kingdom will be able to bid for this work in 2022.
As part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the vessels will be civilian-manned and carry self-defence weapons only.
Cammell Laird was involved in construction of HMS Queen Elizabeth when it constructed the flight decks for the aircraft carrier.
The yard was awarded the £44m contract by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance in late 2009, and began an extensive process of preparing its facilities, including its modular construction hall, to accommodate the manufacture of these huge steel structures.
In May 2012, the company completed the first five modules of the project.
These massive modules, weighing between 583 tonnes and 927 tonnes each and a combined weight of 3,500 tonnes, were transported by ocean-going barge on a five day journey from Cammell Laird to Rosyth on the east coast of Scotland where the carrier was assembled.
The final two of a total of nine upper block units constructed by Cammell Laird left the shipyard in March 2013.
Cammell Laird is currently at the centre of an industrial dispute involving GMB and Unite the Union over plans to axe almost 300 jobs.
Last week yard chief executive John Syvret warned staff that their current campaign of selective stoppages could, ultimately, threaten the future of the business.
