14 •^ Summer 2018^ •^ http://www.shipsmonthly.com
UK SEEKS SOLID SUPPORT
Two Flight III ships
are currently on
order with USS Louis
H. Wilson, Jr (DDG
126), to be built by
Bath Iron Works. hiiPOWERFUL BUT SENSITIVE
US NAVY
Construction of the fi rst Flight
III Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class
destroyer got under way on 13
May, with the fi rst 100 tonnes
of steel being cut at the Ingalls
shipyard. The future USS Jack H.
Lucas (DDG 125) will look similar
to the 73 ships of the class
that have been built before.
However, the latest version will
be very different inside.
Flight III ships feature a 45
per cent redesign of the hulland internal compartments
to accommodate the extra
power generation and cooling
capacity required by the newly
developed Advanced Missile
Defense Radar (AMDR) system.
This requires the installation of a
fourth generator to provide an
extra megawatt of power.
The AMDR, now called AN/
SPY-6, is claimed to be 30 times
more sensitive than the existing
AN/SPY-1 it will replace as the
primary radar for the Aegis
Combat System installed.INTRODUCING THE NEW HMS MAGPIE
In addition to a primary role of
maintaining the safety of navigation
in coastal waters and around
key national infrastructure in UKports, HMS Magpie will also be
able to launch remote-controlled
underwater devices to search the
seabed for obstructions or mines.RFA
The Ministry of Defence has
issued an international tender for
the procurement of Fleet Solid
Support (FSS) ships for the Royal
Fleet Auxiliary, with a requirement
for two ships and an option for
a third, as part of the Military
Afl oat Reach and Sustainability
(MARS) programme. Their primary
role will be to replenish surface
warships and other auxiliaries
with ammunition, food and solid
stores, while under way at sea.
The FSS ships are to have up to
7000m^3 of cargo capacity and be
able to sustain 18 knots. They willalso be capable of transferring
single loads of up to fi ve tonnes
at 12 knots, specifi cally in order
to support the new Queen
Elizabeth aircraft carriers.
The government has come
under intense political pressure
to build the ships in UK shipyards
after the previous MARS project
order for Tide class replenishment
tankers was awarded to Daewoo
in South Korea. On that occasion
no UK shipyard made a bid
for work. This time two British
companies, Babcock and
Cammell Laird are among the
seven shipyards that have shown
interest in the £1 billion project.ROYAL NAVY
The Royal Navy’s newest vessel
has made the journey from Cork
in Ireland to Portland, Dorset
for military and hydrographic
equipment fi tting-out ahead
of joining the hydrographic
squadron in early summer.
The replacement for the
recently decommissioned
HMSML Gleaner has been
delivered by Atlas Elektronik UK
via subcontracting to the Irish
shipbuilder Safehaven Marine,
based on their proven Wildcat 60
craft. The 18m catamaran, named
HMS Magpie after the Duke of
Edinburgh’s only command, is
bigger, has greater endurance,
and is much more resilient in
rough seas than her predecessor.
The new vessel will be able to
maintain 20 knots in a Sea State
Four with waves up to 2.5m high.
She also has accommodation
for up to 12 crew for seven days. The RFA’s new support ships will replace the Fort Austin & Fort Rosalie.NAVALGary Davies
Magpie conducts rough
weather sea trials in the Irish Sea
off the south coast of Ireland.
saFehaVeN MaRiNe