Additionally
a major maintenance programme will include the overhaul of all engines
and a complete strip-down and extensive maintenance work on all systems.
The upkeep period will see more than 20,000m2 (equivalent to three football
pitches) of tank blasting and preservation undertaken, over 40km of
new electrical cables installed, and in excess of 1.5km of new pipework.
The programme is being delivered under the Surface Ship Support Alliance
(between the MoD, Babcock and BAE Systems) Class Output Management (COM)
approach, under which Babcock leads the support of all amphibious vessels.
HMS Albion docked down at Devonport in October 2014, prior to the start
of the upkeep period, as part of a different approach to regeneration,
to refine and de-risk the refit in advance and ensure that the work
is incorporated into the specification from the start, thereby limiting
growth in the package. Planning for this upkeep period has drawn substantially
on experience from previous amphibious ship upkeeps, notably the recent
major upkeep period on HMS Ocean .
Babcock Amphibious COM Team Leader Dai Dumbleton commented: “There
is no doubt that the Albion upkeep period is a unique project which
will present some significant issues, with equipment and sub-systems
that will be in an unknown condition as well as challenges around obsolescence
and replacement spares. Babcock is ready and fully dedicated to delivering
this project successfully at optimum value to the customer.”
HMS Albion is scheduled to leave Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard
to start sea trials in early 2017. When she returns to the fleet, following
sea trials, HMS Albion will replace sister ship HMS Bulwark as one of
the Royal Navy’s key capital ships. |
Babcock
has started work on a major upkeep and upgrade programme on HMS Albion
at its Devonport Royal Dockyard. Babcock picture.