A&P Defence has reported its busiest spring yet, delivering international projects for a number of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Bay Class, Tide Class and HM Ships.
The Falmouth facility is currently half way through a refit for RFA Argus as part of A&P Group’s contract to provide maintenance support to a cluster of MoD vessels, which include RFA Argus and the RFA Bay Class vessels Mounts Bay, Cardigan Bay and Lyme Bay.
In recent weeks, A&P’s specialist defence team has supported RFA Cardigan Bay while on operations in the Persian Gulf – completing a two-week maintenance period at the ASRY yard in Bahrain and has concluded an eight-week alongside repair programme for RFA Mounts Bay in Detyens Shipyard in Charleston, USA. A&P’s team planned the work in the UK, travelling to Detyens to oversee and support the yard in implementation. Work included replacing the vessel’s exhaust silencer to minimise noise.
The defence team is currently preparing for the arrival of RFA Tideforce, the final ship of the RFA’s fleet of four new Tide Class tankers, this Summer. The vessel will undergo a period of UK customisation followed by sea trials, as did its sister vessel RFA Tidespring. RFA Tiderace is undertaking capability trials and RFA Tidesurge is currently in Falmouth undergoing customisation work.
A&P Group was awarded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) UKCCATS contract to provide a period of UK customisation and equipment fit-outs for all four of the RFA’s new fleet of Tide Class tankers and co-ordinate full military Capability Assessment Trials, in 2015.
A&P is also preparing for the arrival of HMS Enterprise – a multi-role survey vessel and HMS Mersey – a River-class offshore patrol vessel, which are due later this year for scheduled maintenance on a contract awarded from BAE Systems.
Gerald Pitts, MD of A&P Defence said: “A&P’s ability to manage a number of complex and international programmes of work simultaneously lies in the expertise of our team, the scale of our operations, facilities and infrastructure, our global reach, the detailed knowledge we have of the vessels and the partnered relationship we have established with Commercially Supported Shipping and The Ministry of Defence.
“We are very proud of this ongoing partnership and pride ourselves on a collaborative way of working that delivers a low risk and cost-effective solution to the RFA, wherever its vessels are in the world. We understand the unique requirements of the RFA and are committed to ensuring the fleet is fit to fight, now and in the future.
“It’s been an especially busy period in Falmouth for defence work and with the imminent arrival of RFA Tideforce, it looks set to continue.”
