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Naval
Industry News - UK, South Korea |
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| DSME
wins Royal Navy contract for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
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A new
generation of 37,000-tonne tankers is to be ordered for the Royal Fleet
Auxiliary (RFA) to support future Royal Navy operations around the globe,
the British MOD has announced on 22 feb. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine
Engineering (DSME) is the Government's preferred bidder for the deal.
The new Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers will
maintain the Royal Navy's ability to refuel at sea and will provide
fuel to warships and task groups.
They will support deployed amphibious, land and air forces close to
the shore, will be able to operate helicopters, and are planned to enter
service from 2016, replacing existing Royal Fleet Auxiliary single-hulled
tankers.
At over 200 metres long, the four tankers will be approximately the
same length as 14 double-decker buses and be able to pump enough fuel
to fill two olympic-sized swimming pools in an hour. |
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DSME 37,000-tonne
tankers offered for MARS program
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Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology,
Peter Luff, announced that Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
(DSME) is the Government's preferred bidder for the deal. This represents
the best value for taxpayers' money, with £452m to be spent on
the four new vessels to support the Royal Navy on operations around
the world.
A number of British companies took part in the competition, but none
submitted a final bid for the build contract. In light of this, the
best option for Defence, and value for money for taxpayers, is for the
tankers to be constructed in South Korea by DSME.
The tankers are part of a multi-billion pound investment programme for
the Royal Navy, which includes Type 45 destroyers, Queen Elizabeth Class
aircraft carriers and Astute Class attack submarines, employing thousands
of people in the UK.
From: MOD
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