Sea-class workboat
 RNMB Harrier (Sea class - autonomous variant)
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sea-class |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Built | 2018-2021 |
| In service | Since 2018 |
| Completed | 34 + 6 minehunting variants |
| Active | 34 + 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Workboat/training/diver support/survey/minehunting vessels |
| Displacement | 15 to 23 tonnes (11-15 m Workboat variants) |
| Length | 11 m, 13.8 m, 15 m & 18 m |
| Propulsion | Yanmar diesels; twin waterjets. |
| Speed | up to 25 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried | Remus UUV (11 & 15 m Survey modules); SeaCat UUVs (autonomous variants)[1] |
| Complement | 2 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 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 in September 2017 for the delivery of up to 38 vessels under the program. Deliveries began in 2018. All vessels, with the exception of HMS Magpie (the largest boat in the series), are non-commissioned assets within the Royal Navy.[2]
Vessel types and roles[edit]
The Sea-class workboat incorporates several variants, including:
- 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);
- 17 x 15 m workboats for officer training, diver training/support and survey 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,[3] 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 three 15-metre vessels are configured for survey work.[4][5]
An autonomous minehunting variant is a derivative of the class. 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. These vessels can operate crewed, be remotely controlled or be pre-programmed to conduct missions autonomously.[6]
The 11 m boats can be transported on either the RAF's A400M or C-17 transport aircraft.[7] 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 co-ordinating autonomous operations.[8]
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" being procured for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, will incrementally supersede crewed minehunters operated by the Royal Navy.[9][10]
See also[edit]
- Archer-class patrol vessel
- P1000-class picket boat
- Patrol Craft Fast - the "Swift Boats"
- Cutlass-class patrol vessel
References[edit]
- ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
- ^ "In focus: the versatile new workboats being built for the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Up close with the Royal Navy's new officer training boats". Navy Lookout. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK SEA Class – Delivering an Innovative, Flexible, Cost-effective Solution to the UK MOD". thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
- ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
- ^ "Future mine hunting system comes to Clyde". Royal Navy. 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Royal Navy autonomous mine hunting at the sharp end". Navy Lookout. 30 March 2023.
- ^ "Up close with RFA Stirling Castle – first of the navy's new motherships". Navy Lookout. 4 July 2023.