In a ceremony held at Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth on twenty ninth July, the UK’s Royal Navy ‘NavyX’ innovation group took supply of a modified Damen Quick Crew Provider (FCS) 4008. Named XV Patrick Blackett after a distinguished naval officer and scientist, the 42-metre, high-speed vessel may have a crew of 5 and can be used as a trials ship, supporting innovation and experimentation with novel applied sciences. NavyX, the Royal Navy’s innovation, autonomy and lethality accelerator which has been established to quickly develop, take a look at and trial cutting-edge tools, ran an open tender course of which resulted in an order being positioned with Damen Shipyards within the Netherlands earlier this 12 months for the supply of an FCS 4008. The XV Patrick Blackett can be used as a platform for the evaluation of all kinds of apparatus. Its 140 sq. meters of deck area offers a big, unobstructed space for UAVs, AUVs and different innovative know-how.
Colonel Tom Ryall, Head of NavyX, stated: “The arrival of this vessel is a pivotal second for NavyX’s capacity to ship output, and is a step change for the Royal Navy. She is going to give us higher flexibility to experiment with novel navy capabilities, iterate and speed up new know-how, package and ideas for the advantage of each the Royal Navy and trade.”
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“That is the primary Damen vessel to be immediately equipped to the Royal Navy. We’re very proud that they’ve Damen as their associate in such a particular undertaking. As a excessive tech, modern vessel, the FCS 4008 will slot in very nicely with NavyX’s mission to push on the boundaries of what’s doable utilizing the very newest tools. We will even be supporting the group of NaxyX intensively by way of our service hub in Portsmouth the place our R&D division will help sure experiments. Damen is way more than only a designer and builder of ships. This undertaking is an affidavit to how we prefer to group up with our purchasers for the long run,” says Frederik van der Linde, Damen’s gross sales supervisor for the UK and Eire.
The FCS 4008 is fitted with seating for 90 personnel, has a prime velocity of 25 knots and a variety of 1200 nautical miles. This offers the vessel the power to succeed in even the furthest offshore installations. 140 m2 of cargo deck aft allows it to hold containers and a variety of different tools. Having served on the seas for many years, the Damen Quick Crew Provide Vessel designs are of confirmed reliability. The idea for the vary is a steadiness between consolation, velocity, operability, effectivity and suppleness. The FCS creates a quick, dependable connection between port and offshore operations. The Sea Axe hull reduces calls for on crew. Propulsion choices enable operational necessities to be matched with effectivity. Damen’s philosophy of constructing to order with customary elements, makes any configuration doable on the lowest doable price and shortest supply time.
The in depth inner space that will usually have seating for as much as 100 personnel is being transformed into an operations centre and a gathering room. 4 caterpillar engines will give it a prime velocity of greater than 20 knots. Different traits of the FCS 4008 which can be vital to NavyX embrace the steadiness and wonderful seakeeping that comes with the Damen X-bow design , vital when deploying tools into the ocean or air. Damen can be offering a complete, three-year help bundle that can centre on the Service Hub that Damen arrange not too long ago in Portsmouth and which has proved to be an enormous success. Domestically recruited personnel will preserve the vessel utilizing native content material the place doable and data can be transferred to make sure sustainability. Her introduction into the fleet will allow NavyX to experiment with out the necessity to place calls for on Royal Navy warships and, sooner or later, she is going to participate in Royal Navy and NATO workouts in addition to enhance alternatives to work extra carefully with trade and academia.
