MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
BAE wins £59m contract for Falklands patrol ship maintenance HMS Clyde
The Falklands’ patrol with her helicopter capability on duty BAE Systems, Britain's biggest defense company, has won a £59m contract for the maintenance of HMS Clyde, the Royal Navy's continuously-deployed patrol vessel in the Falkland Islands.
The contract lasts until 2018, and is an extension of the agreement BAE has had for the past five years, which has kept the ship ready for use by the Navy more than 99pc of the time.
HMS Clyde has carried out the work previously done by two ships in the Falklands since 2007. Helicopters can land on board, and the ship visits the most remote parts of the islands to “provide reassurance” to the locals, BAE said.
BAE has an engineer based permanently in the Falklands who works with local companies and the Navy, so that HMS Clyde does not have to sail back 8,000 miles to Britain to be serviced.
The ship was built by BAE, which leases the vessel to the Navy, and has a crew of 43.
BAE is focusing on maintenance and upgrades of military kit, rather than building new vessels, vehicles and aircraft. Britain is making major cuts to its defense budget and the US, BAE's biggest customer, is reducing the high levels of spending seen in recent years for the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
BAE bought a US naval ship-repair business, Atlantic Marine, for £211m last year, giving it access to bases in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
The company's UK shipbuilding and repair business got a reprieve in last year's strategic defense and security review, with the Government pledging to build the Astute class of nuclear submarines, and two new aircraft carriers for the Navy – although the number of fighter planes they will carry was greatly reduced.
HMS Clyde, based in Portsmouth and permanently deployed in the South Atlantic is the first warship to be launched in Portsmouth Naval Base for almost 40 years. She was commissioned at a ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base on Thursday 5 July 2007.
The 80 meters long enhanced River-class ship is a highly capable and versatile vessel, with the ability to operate a variety of helicopters from her flight deck. She has air and surface surveillance radars and has a 30mm gun mounting. Besides her normal ship's company, she has accommodation for an embarked military force.
One of the features of the ship is that she is owned and will be maintained by VT Group and chartered to the Ministry of Defence for five years. At the end of that time, as has happened, MOD hade the option to extend the charter, return the ship or purchase her outright. Based on this arrangement HMS Clyde is able to operate 282 days of the year.
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Read all comments“the ship visits the most remote parts of the islands to “provide reassurance” to the locals”
May 03rd, 2011 - 06:06 am 0I wonder if they would dare fire on an Argentine ship, even if the ship in question were inside their “EEZ”...
The UK and Argentina have had their own interpretation of the “EEZ”, (not the meaning but the actual border) it seems that the UK tends to extend it beyond the 200 mile border and Argentina tends to “breach” into it (not that we're actually “breaching” anything...).
“Argentina's coastguard impounded a Falklands-flagged fishing vessel it claimed was operating in the country's economic ”exclusion zone“. ”
http://business.scotsman.com/argentina/Assurances-sought-over-Falklands-harassment.2757979.jp
“The high seas ”arrest“ of the trawler last week follows a low-level ”squid war“ that has been waged amid allegations of over-fishing and infringements of sovereignty. Argentina claims that the John Cheek was illegally fishing in the Argentine economic exclusion zone last Monday”
http://business.scotsman.com/argentina/Assurances-sought-over-Falklands-harassment.2757979.jp
”The coastguard said the fishing boat John Cheek was being escorted to the port of Comodoro Rivadavia, on Argentina's Patagonian coast, with 31 crew onboard. The authorities say the crew had been fishing illegally in waters about 198 nautical miles (228 miles) south-east of Comodoro Rivadavia.“
http://business.scotsman.com/argentina/Assurances-sought-over-Falklands-harassment.2757979.jp
Nowhere in these articles does it say that the ”Royal“ Navy came flying to their rescue, or sailing or whatever.
Seems to me that these ”HMS” toys are just for show, they wouldn't dare fire a single round against an Argentine ship and risk an all out war with South America.
News from 2006 - nothing newer Martian ?
May 03rd, 2011 - 09:07 am 0Fancy crossing the border? Go for it :-)
The last time an Argentina Navy vessel threatened a fishing boat she made sure she stayed well out in Argentine waters .... the trawler appears to have ignored the threat and stayed well within the Falkland's EEZ.
Would the British fire on an Argentine ship ........ probably not, the Royal Navy feel embarrased when shooting at fleeing targets :-))
2 Redhoyt
May 03rd, 2011 - 09:19 am 0we can not believe this, this Pirates threaten with the patrol ship, they stole the our Malvinas Islands, steal our resources, we steal our oil, now they want to steal our the fish, PIRATES!!!, we must stop these pirates, they sure have to get money to pay the royal wedding! Parasites!!!
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