A £1million investment in huge new concrete blocks has been made by the Ministry of Defence to improve the efficiency of docking ships in dry docks at Portsmouth Naval Base.

The move is seen as a vote of confidence in the base’s future as a major centre for Royal Navy shiprepair with the dock blocks capable of supporting the Navy’s new Type 45 destroyers as well as current ships ranging from aircraft carriers to minor war vessels.

The investment has been welcomed by naval support company Fleet Support Limited (FSL) which maintains the dry docks and carries out ship maintenance at the base. FSL Services Director Marcus Watson says the new concrete blocks – each weighing seven tonnes – will cut by more than half the time needed to prepare a dry dock for accepting a ship.

He explained: “This is a vote of confidence for the base by the MoD through the Defence Logistics Organisation which has made the investment. Previously, we moved blocks around the various docks to accommodate ships – now we have enough to cater for all contingencies.”

Over 400 blocks have been allocated to various dry docks around the base, replacing older blocks that ranged in age from 15 years to some dating back to the Second World War. The new steel-reinforced blocks allow ships to be supported in a more stable fashion and are regarded as safer and expected to last longer than the previous blocks.

Captain Peter Jaynes, Captain of the Naval Base, commented: “This investment will improve the operational capability of the base. If we need to make emergency dockings, we now have the flexibility to respond even faster.