UK: Repaired and Upgraded HMS Shoreham Leaves Babcock’s Rosyth Dockyard

HMS Shoreham, the Royal Navy’s newest Sandown class single role minehunter, has left Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard on-time and on-budget today with improved operational capability, following a substantial upgrade and maintenance programme undertaken by Babcock.

Among the various upgrades received, HMS Shoreham is now the second single role minehunter to have the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (DII(F)) installed, enabling information sharing and collaborative working across the defence sector network.

Additionally, a high pressure air upgrade has increased output pressure and brings space and cost benefits, while further upgrades include a remote isolation capability for the waste water system, fitting of a chloropac dosing system (to reduce fouling by marine organisms), and re-siting of five tonnes of ballast. Full renewal of the outer bottom paint coatings with the new foul-release system will also improve the vessel’s speed and fuel efficiency. Further work has included habitability improvements to living quarters, and considerable work on the air conditioning plant, and sea water cooling systems. In addition, a major overhaul was carried out on both main engines.

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Source: defpro, September 26, 2011