Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme
The Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme (FSSP) aims to deliver up to three fleet solid support ships to the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ships will be used to provide underway replenishment of dry stores, such as ammunition, spare parts and supplies, to ships of the Royal Navy. They will regularly deploy with the UK Carrier Strike Group, providing crucial supplies to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and their escorts. All three ships had been scheduled to enter service between 2028 and 2032. However, subsequently the Ministry of Defence indicated that the first ship would in fact not be operational until 2031.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Harland and Wolff, Navantia |
| Operators | Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Fort Rosalie class, Fort Victoria class |
| Built | 2025 to 2032 (projected) |
| In service | From 2031 (projected) |
| Planned | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Replenishment oiler |
| Displacement | 39,000 long tons (39,626 t) full load |
| Length | 216 m (708 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion | CODELOD (Combined Diesel Electric or Diesel) arrangement, 2 shafts |
| Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | Port side boat bay to allow embarkation of Special Forces RIBs |
| Capacity | 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft) of cargo space; up to 25 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent) containers on upper deck; capacity for Role 2 maritime hospital |
| Complement | 101 RFA, plus space for 57 to 78 additional RN or other personnel |
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys |
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| Armament |
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| Aircraft carried | Capacity for 2 × Merlin helicopters (or equivalent) plus at least one UAV |
| Aviation facilities | Twin hangar, Chinook-capable flight deck |
The ships were first proposed by the British government in 2015 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. In the subsequent National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government outlined its intentions to tender the ships internationally to encourage competitiveness with British shipyards. This was criticised by some political parties and trade unions as being a potential loss of British shipbuilding jobs and skills. Following a competition, which began in 2018, Team Resolute was awarded a contract for the three vessels; BMT Group will provide the design, whilst Harland & Wolff and Navantia UK will construct them.