U.K. ROYAL NAVY MINEHUNTER MOVES OUT OF GIANT SHIP HALL AT PORTSMOUTH NAVAL BASE
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL BASE, U.K. -- BAE Systems teams have returned HMS Chiddingfold (M37) to the water following what has been the most extensive package of work ever carried out to the plastic hulls of any Hunt Class mine countermeasure vessels. The completion of this phase of her upkeep has been marked with the launch of the inaugural BAE Systems and the U.K. Royal Navy association program, which aims to forge close links between the ship, the ship’s company and BAE Systems employees responsible for her upkeep and working across the Maritime Services business.
At 60m long and 10m wide, the Hunt Class vessels are the largest Glass-Reinforced Plastic vessels in the world and have been in service for over 30 years. All six are base-ported at Portsmouth Naval Base and maintained by BAE Systems teams.
The first phase of HMS Chiddingfold’s upkeep was carried out in the former ship hall facility, which is now the Minor Vessels Centre of Specialisation. It offers engineers 360-degree access to the ship no matter what the weather, cutting down upkeep times and offering the U.K. Ministry of Defence better value for money.
HMS Chiddingfold’s upkeep program included an extensive blasting of her hull, ship’s side and decks to prepare her for repainting. She also received upgrades to many of her systems including firefighting equipment, new fuel tanks, salvage generator and underwater valve replacements. There were also modifications to the electrical systems, and a new galley was installed so that the crew have better on board facilities.
BAE Systems Maritime Services has completed 26 maintenance and upkeep periods on Royal Navy ships in Portsmouth and overseas during 2018.
These works are part of the £600 million Maritime Services Delivery Framework (MSDF) contract awarded to BAE Systems in 2014 to both manage Portsmouth Naval Base and to carry out all the work required to support the Portsmouth flotilla, which represents more than half of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet.
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