RFA Fort George, a replenishment and stores ship, has come into dock at Birkenhead for a major revamp as the Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited (NSL) team begin work on a substantial £18M MoD repair contract.
As one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Oiler Replenishment vessels, Fort George works hard to support the Royal Navy's fleet at sea providing fuel for the ship as well as munitions and other vital stores.Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Ann Taylor said: 'Delivering ships' stores as well as fuel, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is the life support machine for the fleet while it is at sea so it is essential that we maintain these vessels. This multi-million pound contract is a significant investment in the support we provide to the Royal Navy's fleet.' Commodore Dave Preston from the MoD Availability Afloat Support team said: 'These ships often serve very long periods at sea, so these docking periods are an opportunity to modernise and add new capabilities. The refit will upgrade the military communication systems and complete a major overhaul of the machinery and electrical equipment. Fort George will also undergo routine maintenance and inspection work, including coming into dry dock to paint the hull.' John Syvret, NSL Managing Director, said: 'It is absolutely magnificent to see the RFA Fort George in the shipyard docked near the RFA Fort Rosalie which we are also restoring. The RFA Fort George contract will last for around six months employing up to 250 workers at any one time, which means that we will have up to 1000 people working in the shipyard this year.' Works are expected to be completed later this year |
