Ocean Back at Sea After GBP30 M Refit
(September 24, 2008) -- The Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean sailed from her home base at Plymouth to start sea trials today, Wednesday 24 September 2008, following a major period of maintenance and upgrading work.
HMS Ocean, one of the most powerful and flexible ships in the fleet, has successfully completed a complex 12-month upgrade and maintenance programme worth more than GBP30 million and undertaken by Babcock Marine at HM Naval Base Devonport Royal Dockyard.
The next few weeks will see HMS Ocean carry out intense sea trials that will test not only mechanical sustainability, but also the people; many new crew members having joined the ship since the project started. The ship's Commanding Officer, Captain Simon Kings MBE, said:
"I am immensely proud to be taking the Royal Navy's s largest warship back to sea after such a long period of maintenance and look forward to the challenge of regenerating her operational role as the Royal Navy's high readiness amphibious assault ship. Getting back to sea has been the result of much hard work by both Babcock Marine and the ship's company working together to deliver HMS Ocean."
A tried and tested programme of exercises will focus initially on sea safety and then gradually build up to equipment calibration and then flying operations with embarked helicopters before operational sea training begins in earnest in November 2008.
The ship started the second docking period of her life in September 2007 and is now undergoing sea trials before returning officially to the Royal Navy's fleet as an operational warship in October 2008.
This latest upgrade focused on improving accommodation and further equipping her for her worldwide role, and has involved a number of 'firsts', and some significant challenges.
Captain Martin Pendle, of SFM Devonport, said:
"The achievement of reaching the 'ready for sea' date and now sailing for sea trials represent the key milestone in HMS Ocean's docking period. It marks the effective completion of a pound35m and year-long project that has seen HMS Ocean receive a major work package across almost every aspect of the vessel.
"Joint working between the MOD and Babcock Marine has been a particular feature in delivering this project, and that teamwork has been especially effective. All involved in this project are to be congratulated."
Work undertaken has included extensive improvements in crew accommodation including fitting toilets and bathrooms, provision of mess-decks in Royal Marines' or soldiers' accommodation, storage for their equipment and an entirely refurbished and reconfigured galley (dining area) and improved food storage areas; and equipping the ship with advanced communications facilities and a better weapon defence system, as well as an upgrade to the ship's aviation support facilities to improve support to helicopter operations including the Apache attack helicopter.
The old paint had to be removed entirely underwater and a new, more environmentally-friendly ultra-sleek system applied - the first on a capital (major) warship. A new waste disposal system has been installed involving a pyrolysis system - the first use of the technology on a Royal Naval ship. New sections of the main propulsion shafts have been fitted and improvements made to systems such as high pressure salt water, fresh water, drains and sewage.
Source : UK MoD
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