The UK’s first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ship RFA Proteus sailed from Birkenhead today following conversion work.
The vessel was purchased for £70 Million from Topaz Marine, a subsidiary of P&O Maritime and arrived at Cammell Laird for conversion to her new role in January. The MoD had promised she would be “operational in Summer 2023” but crew generation and safety certification issues are understood to have delayed her exit from the shipyard until now. After sea trials, Proteus will head to the south coast before she is formally named at a ceremony to be held in London during October.
Proteus will be dedicated to safeguarding critical seabed infrastructure and will act as a ‘mother ship’, operating remote and autonomous off-board systems for underwater surveillance and seabed warfare.
This modern, 6,000-tonne ship was built in 2019 for work in the offshore oil industry supporting construction, maintenance and inspection work and is equipped to operate autonomous submersibles. A ‘moon pool’ – a vertical shaft in the centre of the vessel provides a sheltered way for robot submersibles to be launched or recovered in high sea states. The 98.1 metre-long ship also has a flight deck, a heavy-duty crane and a 1,000 sq metre working deck aft.
Main Image: Phil Owen
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NL, how exactly do will RFA PROTEUS carry out her job?
You will have to brush up on your acronyms
‘Uncrewed systems deployed from the vessel will include the joint French-UK Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) and Combined Influence Sweep (SWEEP) along with Medium Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MAUVs).
Some new kit it will carry:
https://www.eiva.com/about/eiva-log/eiva-to-supply-uk-mod-containerised-rotv-solution-to-the-royal-navy
Clearly someone with more knowledge than me designed this ship, but it’s bow is capable of cutting through heavy seas, as to be expected in the North Sea, but surely heavy swells will just wash over that very shallow aft deck? I’ve seen images of RFA’ doing a RAS where their low level deck space is submerged in swell wash.
That low aft deck is characteristic of OSVs and it works well. A lot depends on angle of the bow to the sea and swell, of course. That effect you’ve seen with RFAs would be due in large part to the pressure wave formed between the RFA and the ship it’s replenishing; ‘roughers’ doesn’t help, though!
Rightio I see. I’m sure that will prove out in future videos of Proteus working in heavy seas. ????
I hope it is well stabilised.it looks like it could roll well.
This ship looks horribly top heavy—and with the crane on one side will surely be likely to capsize in a heavy sea??!!
The Admiralty have a cunning plan.
A Matter of such Great Import that No-one may be Told of It.
Ps – saw the Proteus in Hamoaze yesterday. Happy travels …
Ballast tanks to port with high speed pumps. Amazing what these guys can do.
Not really. The upper parts of a ship, any ship, are very light in comparison to what is down below. Fuel tanks, ballast water tanks, engines generators, pumps and all manner of machinery, are relatively heavy and dense.
The calculation of stability is a major part of a Deck Officer’s qualifications.
In fact, OSVs like Proteus are often too “stiff”. This means that she will roll back to an upright position very quickly and uncomfortably. Vessels like this use a large tank of slack water that sloshes from side to side in order to help ease the motions.
If ships suffer from stability difficulties, it is normally due to severe damage or human error.
I’m ex RN myself, but now have 20 years+ as a Deck Officer on offshore vessels.
I agree – but let’s see how she performs in real-time.
These ships have been operating in the North Sea in all weather conditions for years….
You know, I do like grey – a lot of it as it happens. Includes the dark shade that likes to stay well hidden. Colour’s somehow a comfort if you’re surrounded by water.
It’s not for anyone to know how they do there job but guverment people only lol
What’s the boats compliment of crew?
If the army were running this ship it would look a little different. That working deck would have been finished with red oxide paint then polished endlessly. Buffed up to a mirror finish with the old “bumper” and a piece of “blanket US” ????????
RAN acquired or is acquiring a similar vessel?
Left Hand Down A Bit Mr Phillips
How can they navigate with that helipad over the bridge windows?