The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded contracts to four consortia to develop their bids for the construction of three new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Navy.
As disclosed, the parties have each been awarded contracts worth around £5 million ($6.9 million) to develop their proposals to build three 40,000 tonne supply ships.
The four consortia awarded CPP contracts are:
Once this phase is completed, a preferred contender will be selected and a manufacturer contract will be awarded.
The FSS ships will be built for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and will be designed to keep the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and amphibious task groups supplied with everything from ammunition to food as they sail on operations around the world.
The final manufacture contract will be awarded to the UK company acting either solely or as part of a group.
“I am proud to see UK companies stepping up to the challenge of the Fleet Solid Support competition as we begin the next chapter of this British shipbuilding success story,”
The MoD said the three new FSS ships will support “amphibious based Task Groups at sea” .
At present, the Royal Navy has two amphibious assault ships – Plymouth-based HMS Albion and HMS Bulkwark.