Fleet Support Limited (FSL) has docked the Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate HMS Richmond at the start of an 18-month refit programme.
The project is the first refit contract in Portsmouth for 15 years and includes a wide range of work to upgrade the ship and enhance her systems capability.
FSL is working under the Team Portsmouth banner in close partnership with RN personnel and organisations within the DLO to carry out the task, with the emphasis on a joint, seamless approach. Team Portsmouth is a principle that has evolved over the past 15 months and is based on a fully integrated approach with all stakeholders working together to achieve a successful project delivery.
Mal Lewis, FSL Director of Engineering, commented: “Richmond will set new standards for partnered refits and will also benefit from new cost saving and efficiency initiatives that we have been undertaking in Engineering and Ship Support.
“Having been won in fierce competition, this project is an exciting opportunity for Portsmouth to demonstrate its versatility and deep engineering skill. It will also illustrate our progress towards becoming a centre of excellence in warship repair, capability upgrade and maintenance in both programmed upkeep and Fleet Time.”
Initial work comprises removing both shafts, the ship’s forward gun, carrying out surveys and priming the hull.
The complete programme, sustaining some 130 jobs at FSL, will combine major system and machinery upgrades with routine maintenance. On completion, the work will make the 1996-built ship one of the best equipped frigates in the Fleet.
She will become the latest Type 23 to be fitted with the upgraded 2087 towed array sonar where the task will involve a considerable amount of complex structural alterations and system fits.
Alterations below decks will also be necessary to accommodate the fit of a new 4.5 inch Mark 8 MoD 1 gun. FSL already has experience of fitting the gun to the Type 23 HMS Marlborough and has recently completed a similar fit to the Type 42 destroyer HMS York.
The programme calls for more than 30 major enhancements and other elements of the package include alterations linked to enabling the ship to handle Merlin helicopters. Besides a comprehensive menu of machinery maintenance, the crew will benefit from upgrades to the accommodation and galley. Completing the work will be a comprehensive blasting and painting task on the hull, decks and superstructure.
The ship will spend some six months in dock before being completed alongside in time for an at sea date in mid-2006 and contract acceptance in September 2006.
“The refit contract will exploit the full range of FSL’s capabilities from heavy naval engineering to high tech naval design and systems and weapons system set to work.” added Mr Lewis.