The Offshore Patrol Vessel Programme.
Engineering Scotland’s Practical Lecture 2015 was an opportunity to hear about BAE Systems’ exciting Offshore Patrol Vessel Programme and how the company is using the project to develop its engineering talent. The 90 metre OPV is based on a proven BAE Systems design which is already in service with the Brazilian Navy and Royal Thai Navy. Engineers at BAE Systems have modified the design, ensuring it meets the requirements of the Royal Navy in support of UK interests both at home and abroad.
The vessels will include a modified flight deck capable of operating the latest Merlin helicopters, larger stores and more accommodation for embarked troops. They will also be the first ships to be built with a BAE Systems designed, new state-of-the-art operating system called Shared Infrastructure, which will be rolled out across the Royal Navy’s surface fleet over the next ten years. Shared Infrastructure revolutionises the way ships operate by using virtual technologies to host and integrate the sensors, weapons and management systems that complex warships require. By replacing multiple large consoles dedicated to specific tasks with a single hardware solution, the amount of spares which are required to be carried onboard is reduced, significantly decreasing through-life costs.
The manufacturing contract for the three ships was announced in August. The OPVs will be globally deployable and capable of ocean patrol with a range of 5,000 nautical miles and a maximum speed of 24 knots. The first of class is expected to be delivered to the Royal Navy in 2017.
Engineering Scotland’s Practical Lecture 2015, was delivered by Iain Stevenson, Project Director, and Callum Vause, Engineering Manager, BAE Systems – on Wednesday 25th March, kindly hosted by Glasgow Kelvin College at its Springburn campus. This was also a chance to see the College’s new campus and some of the impressive facilities which are available.
Grateful thanks to Iain and Callum for delivering a very interesting talk and to the College for generous hospitality.
The committee is always open to suggestions for future events. If there is a subject you would like to see covered on a future occasion, please email the Honorary Secretary.