Portsmouth-based naval support company Fleet Support Limited (FSL) has secured a multi-million pound contract to refit the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond in an 18-month programme starting in April this year.

The contract, which was confirmed after a reverse auction process involving the three UK naval bases, provides FSL with a base workload for 2005/6 and will sustain around 130 jobs at Portsmouth. HMS Richmond is one of only two major RN maintenance programmes scheduled for this year.

Managing Director Ian Booth commented: “We are delighted to bring warship refits back to Portsmouth after a 15 year gap. This underlines Portsmouth as the premier warship build, refit and support facility in the UK.”

“The work was won in fierce competition from yards in Scotland and the South West and demonstrates the efficiencies we have derived from the co-location of VT’s state-of-the-art shipbuilding at Portsmouth alongside our modern refit and support activity for the Royal Navy. The contract will showcase our expertise as the UK’s leading company for the maintenance of surface warships.”

The package will comprise a series of major system and machinery upgrades, besides routine maintenance on the 1996-built ship. On completion, the work will make HMS Richmond one of the best equipped frigates in the Fleet.

She will become the third Type 23 to be fitted with the upgraded 2087 towed array sonar where the task will involve a considerable amount of structural alterations and system fits.

Alterations below decks will also be necessary to accommodate the fit of a new 4.5 inch Mark 8 MoD 1 gun. FSL already has experience of fitting the gun to the Type 23 HMS Marlborough and has recently completed a similar fit to the Type 42 destroyer HMS York.

The initial programme on HMS Richmond, starting in April, this year calls for more than 30 major enhancements and the ship will spend some six months in dock before being completed alongside in time for an at sea date in mid-2006 and contract acceptance in September 2006.

Several other elements of the package include alterations linked to enabling the ship to handle Merlin helicopters. Besides a comprehensive menu of machinery maintenance, the crew will benefit from upgrades to the accommodation and galley. Completing the work will be a comprehensive blasting and painting task on the hull, decks and superstructure.

“This type of work is our bread and butter. The refit contract will exploit the full range of FSL’s capabilities from heavy naval engineering to high tech naval design and systems and weapons system set to work.” added Mr Booth.