Babcock has begun a six-month support period (docking) on the UK Royal Navy’s Sandown-class mine hunter HMS Bangor (M109), at the company’s Rosyth dockyard, Scotland, UK.
Performed by the Babcock-led Sandown-class output management team under Surface Ship Support Alliance Class Output Management (COM) arrangements, the support period includes a number of upgrades and a substantial maintenance package for HMS Bangor.
The support period aims to significantly enhance the operational capability, sustainability and habitability standards of the ship, which is scheduled to go into dock later this week.
Work on the ship during the support period includes major galley and laundry updates, installation of modernised communication systems and an updated fire detection system, in addition to enhancing the ship’s ability to operate in hot climates.
Babcock’s warships managing director, Mike Whalley, said the company intends to deliver HMS Bangor on-time and in-budget to the Royal Navy.
"The work package for HMS Bangor’s support period has been defined to reflect the ship’s needs and minimise the level of emergent work, based on knowledge of the ship’s material state and our experience of previous Sandown class refits, to optimise efficiency and value for money," Whalley said.
The vessel’s maintenance work will include a large package of paint coating and deck covering renewal, a full structural survey, habitability improvements, slow speed drive alignment checks, renewal of all propulsor unit blade seals, shaft line overhaul and essential underwater work.
Additional maintenance work includes a complete overhaul of the ship’s boat crane and of the reverse osmosis plant, in addition to the usual programme of planned maintenance and defect rectification.
The vessel’s existing diesel generators will also be replaced with modern, economical, environmentally friendlier and supportable machines.
HMS Bangor is scheduled to undergo sea trials in summer 2014.
