- Steel cutting ceremony at Appledore site marks start of the
Fleet Solid Support (FSS) build programme for the Royal Fleet
Auxiliary.
- RFA Resurgent was named at the ceremony by Commodore RFA,
Cmdre Sam Shattock.
- Follows £115 million direct investment into four UK
shipyards, including Harland & Wolff Belfast, creating 1,200
skilled jobs and deliver on the government's Plan for Change.
Construction of a new modern support ship for the Royal Navy has
begun today, following a steel cutting ceremony in Devon –
boosting jobs, skills and growth.
The ship, which has today been named RFA Resurgent, will
strengthen the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) by providing
next-generation support for the Royal Navy and its construction.
This latest delivery of a Strategic Defence Review commitment
will help ensure that the Royal Navy is ready to operate anywhere
in the world by delivering crucial support, including restocking
food stores and munitions and embarking specialist crews when
needed.
The Fleet Solid Support programme shows how defence is an engine
for growth, with £115 million invested across four shipyards -
creating 1,200 skilled jobs, as well as recruiting 222
apprentices.
This follows the Government's decisive action last year to step
in and help secure the future of all four Harland & Wolff
shipyards in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Devon – protecting
skilled jobs at historic shipyards across the UK. And, for the
first time in more than a decade, all four of the shipyards are
at work, delivering defence capability.
The North Devon shipyard will construct the bow sections of the
ships, with Appledore now employing 200 people. Twenty new
apprentices were recruited this year in partnership with Petroc
College.
Construction of ship modules will take place at Navantia's
Appledore yard, while final assembly, integration and trials of
the ships will take place at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in
Belfast.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, MP said:
"This is a significant moment as we begin the build of the RFA's
newest ship that will keep our Royal Navy ready to fight and able
to deter future threats.
"By backing British shipbuilding, we are creating more than 1,200
skilled jobs in Devon, Belfast and beyond. This shows defence is
as an engine for growth, boosting communities across the
UK.
“In a new era of threat, we are investing more of a rising
defence budget in new platforms and technologies.”
MP, Minister for Defence
Readiness and Industry, initiated the steel cut which marks the
start of the Fleet Solid Support build programme.
The name of the ship - RFA Resurgent – was announced at the event
by the Commodore of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary , Commodore Sam
Shattock, with delivery expected in 2031.
When complete, the ship – which is more than twice the length of
a regulation football field – will provide munitions, spares,
food and other essential stores to naval vessels at sea. This new
capability will ensure the Royal Navy can remain deployed for
extended periods without returning to port, supporting
carrier-led operations globally and boosting the UK's warfighting
readiness.
Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK said:
“Across our yards, we have worked tirelessly to mark today's
milestone. It is a proud day for the whole team, whose commitment
has brought us to this point.
“The FSS programme continues to deliver on two fronts: critical
capability for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and long-term sovereign
industrial capacity for the UK through investment in
infrastructure, technology and skills.
“Today's steel cut is the evidence of what we have been saying
all along. When we make a commitment to deliver, we do
so.”
Commodore Sam Shattock, Commodore RFA, said:
“The ship is innovative, meets the latest environmental
protection standards and is designed from the bottom up to
deliver maritime sustainment as efficiently as possible.
“The construction will provide impetus to the UK ship building
industry, supporting jobs and local economies at the various
construction and assembly locations in the UK.
“I'm excited to watch this ship join the RFA flotilla and
demonstrate its capabilities in due course. A true warfighting
enabler for the Royal Navy of tomorrow.”
The programme is managed by Defence Equipment & Support in
partnership with Navantia UK and supports the government's Plan
for Change by delivering economic security and growth across the
UK.
