BAE bids for RFA tankers

Work on a new order for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary could be coming to the Clyde, it emerged today. A consortium led by BAE Systems has declared it wants to design and build up to six tankers for the Ministry of Defence. If its bid is successful the contract could provide vital stop-gap work for the company’s yards at Govan and Scotstoun, if there’s a delay in starting work on two giant aircraft carriers. The yards are due to build sections of the 65,000 tonne carriers, which will then be assembled at Rosyth dockyard.

BAE Systems, which will lead the new consortium bidding for the RFA tankers, will be partnered by BMT Defence Services Ltd and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company. The contracts for the carriers are due to be finalised and, as long as there is no extended delay, the Clyde yards would not have the capacity to build the tankers.

In that case the ships would be built by Daewoo in Korea as part of the BAE partnership.

A BAE Systems spokeswoman said: “We have not yet received the manufacturing contract for the carriers. We have received the government’s commitments and assurances on the programme and have no reason to anticipate any delay.” But she said the company had “retained flexibility” on the build programme until the deal was finally done and she indicated winning the order could provide work once the carrier sections were complete.

She said: “The tanker programme is for six ships, which could span the next 10 years, well past the work on the carrier programme on the Clyde.”

Vic Emery, managing director of BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions, said: “While it is intended that all vessels will be constructed in Korea a unique feature the consortium offers is the ability to provide UK build options.” If the consortium wins the order it will become part of the workload of the proposed maritime joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Group, which is building the super carriers.

The MoD’s decision to classify the auxiliary ships as “commercial” was controversial because it meant they were open to worldwide tender. If they had been classified as warships the tendering process would have been restricted to UK yards and protected British jobs.

The tanker fleet is part of a £2 billion ($3.9 billion) effort to upgrade RFA logistics capabilities. Further classes of ships eventually will be built, updating British capabilities for forward aviation support, delivery of bulk consumables other than oil, and providing sea-based logistics ships able to deliver ammunition, food and other supplies.

It?s not clear yet whether the UK will also allow these ships to be built overseas.