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Sea-class workboat

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HMS Magpie (Sea class 18 m variant)
Class overview
NameSea class
OperatorsUnited Kingdom Royal Navy
Built2017–2024
In service2018–present
Completed35 + 6 (Arcims-class) minehunting variants
Active35 + 6
General characteristics
TypeWorkboat/training/diver support/survey/minehunting vessels
Displacement15 to 23 t (15 to 23 long tons) (11-15 m Workboat variants); 37 t (36 long tons) (HMS Magpie)
Length
  • 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
  • 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)
  • 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
  • 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
PropulsionYanmar diesels; twin waterjets
Speedover 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[1]
Boats & landing
craft carried		Remus UUV (11, 15 & 18 m survey modules); SeaCat UUVs (Arcims-class variants)[2]
Complement2 berths (11 m variants), 4 berths (13.8 & 15 m variants), up to 9 crew (HMS Magpie); up to 36 passengers (13.8 m variant); up to 12 cadets (15 m officer training variants)

The Sea-class workboat has been procured for Britain's Royal Navy to undertake a number of roles, including: logistics and transport tasks, inshore and harbour survey work, diver training and support, officer training and providing passenger transfer modules for the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. An autonomous minehunting variant of the class has also been procured.

A procurement contract for £48M was awarded to Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) in September 2017 for the delivery of up to 38 vessels under the program. Thirty-five vessels were ultimately built, with deliveries beginning in 2018 and completing in 2024. All vessels, with the exception of HMS Magpie (the largest boat in the series), are non-commissioned assets within the Royal Navy.[3]

Vessel types and roles

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The Sea-class workboat incorporates hulls that are interchangeable allowing them to adapted for different tasks. As initially acquired, the class includes several variants:

  • 10 x 11 m standard workboats for transport and logistics tasks;
  • 3 x 11 m small survey modules (including units assigned to the ocean survey ship HMS Scott and the ice patrol ship HMS Protector);
  • 3 x 13.8 m passenger transfer modules (assigned to HMS Prince of Wales);
  • 18 x 15 m workboats for officer training, diver training/support and survey/hydrography duties; and,
  • 1 x 18 m inshore survey unit (HMS Magpie).

Eight 15-metre officer training vessels are assigned to the Britannia Royal Naval College,[4] while the six 15-metre diver training and support vessels are assigned to HMNB Portsmouth (three units), HMNB Devonport, HMNB Clyde and to the Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron (one unit each). The final four 15-metre vessels are configured for survey/hydrographic work, with two of the vessels (Merlin and Fantome) being based with the Fleet Hydrography and Meteorology Unit at HMNB Devonport.[5][6][7]

The vessels have been constructed to be fully compatible with AEUK’s autonomy engine enabling an unmanned capability to be integrated as a future need arises.[8]

Autonomous minehunter

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RNMB Harrier (Arcims-class)

A specifically-focused autonomous minehunting vessel, also produced by Atlas Elektronik, is a derivative of the class (being identified by the navy as the Arcims-class).[9] Five 11-metre variants of the type (RNMBs Hussar, Hazard, Halcyon, Harrier and Hydra) were acquired by the Royal Navy and assigned to the Mine Threat and Exploitation Group at HMNB Clyde. The vessels have been procured under the Mine Hydrographic Capability (MHC) programme and are fitted with acoustic, electronic, and magnetic payloads that can emit signals through a towed craft to trigger mines into thinking that a target ship is passing by.[10] The boats can operate crewed, be remotely controlled or be pre-programmed to conduct missions autonomously.[11][12] The 11 m boats can be transported on either the RAF's A400M or C-17 transport aircraft.[13]

An additional 15-metre minehunting variant (RNMB Hebe) was also procured and similarly assigned to the Clyde naval base. The greater size of Hebe permits her to accommodate a Portable Operations Centre Afloat that allows her to control her sister vessels while also coordinating autonomous operations.[14]

In 2023, RNMB Harrier was tasked to undertake trials with the Royal Navy's 9th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron based at HMS Jufair in Bahrain. It is planned that autonomous minehunters, operating from command "mother ships", will incrementally supersede crewed minehunters operated by the Royal Navy.[15][16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SEA Class Marine Craft". Atlas Elektronik. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
  3. ^ "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Up close with the Royal Navy's new officer training boats". Navy Lookout. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Final Vahana Workboats delivered to complete Royal Navy fleet". Ministry of Defence. 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ "The final of six new boats to improve support to Royal Navy divers has been delivered". Royal Navy. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  7. ^ "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  8. ^ Webb, Freddie (19 July 2024). "Royal Navy: Advanced Vahana SEA-class boats all built - ships set to support HMS Prince of Wales and UK fleet". The News. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Autonomous minehunting test team mark one year in the Gulf". Royal Navy. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. ^ Fish, Tim (December 2022). "Beating the Minefield with Autonomous Countermeasures". issuu.com.
  11. ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
  12. ^ "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Future mine hunting system comes to Clyde". Royal Navy. 21 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Up close with RFA Stirling Castle – first of the navy's new motherships". Navy Lookout. 4 July 2023.
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