UK sets out plans for Offshore Support Vessels under MHC Block 2

The UK Ministry of Support (MoD) is moving on with strategies to get 3 Offshore Assistance Vessels (OSVs) as component of the Royal Navy’s (registered nurse’s) Mine Searching Ability (MHC) Block 2 program.

Talking at the Navy Leaders CNE 2025 occasion on 20 Might, Expense Biggs, MHC System of Equipments engineer in the MoD’s Support Tools and Assistance (DE&S) organisation, stated the MoD had actually formed a need for a non-complex industrial acquired style to be supplied from the very early 2030s. He included that a shipment group had actually been stood, with existing strategies taking a look at an agreement honor in mid-2027.

The MHC program is an overarching recapitalisation planned to change the registered nurse’s standard ship-based MCM pressure to a next-generation ability based upon maritime offboard ‘system of systems’ bundles able to perform MCM procedures both in home waters and overseas. The objective is to manipulate brand-new modern technology– in locations such as freedom, sensing units and progressed information handling– to make the discovery and disposal of sea mines much safer, a lot more effective, and a lot more efficient.

The MHC Block 1 program is currently providing preliminary ‘tool kit’ elements consisting of unmanned surface area vessel (USV)- based mine searching collections generated by Thales under the French/UK Maritime Mine Counter Actions program; MHC Move systems created by Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK); Tool Autonomous Underwater Car systems additionally supplied by AEUK (making use of the SeaCat automobile and Vision SAS Mk 2 artificial aperture finder); and a collection of command and control (C2) and joint freedom software program options supplied by SeeByte. Furthermore, the MoD in very early 2023 bought the overseas vessel MV Island Crown— relabelled RFA Stirling Castle— from the industrial market to act as a UK host system for self-governing MCM hauls obtained via MHC Block 1 and the forerunner Task Wilton.

MHC Block 2, prepared to supply incrementally in between 2026 and 2032, is planned to develop an electronic ‘foundation’ for information exploitation and interoperability, while additionally expanding mass in goal systems. This consists of extra mine searching, neutralisation and move systems, extra USVs, and a brand-new tool unmanned undersea automobile (UUV).

3 OSVs– which will certainly work as flagship for MHC aspects– are additionally prepared under MHC Block 2. DE&S previously this month launched a volunteer openness notification proclaiming a budget plan of ₤ 330 million for the program, and encouraging its intent to start a tender task in November 2026.

“[Our programme] consists of the need for 3 minimally customized, industrial created Offshore Assistance Vessels able to organize a complete goal system,” Biggs informed the CNE 2025 target market. ” In a measure terms, that remains in the order of 3 USVs, 3 tool course UUVs, and C2 hauls.

” We have a shipment group developed, which is a vital action [and] we have actually done a great deal of operate in regards to comprehending our core demands and principles. That’s aided us form the need.”

The Naval Style Partnering group– which gives technological source to the MoD for pre-concept and principle style task– has actually sustained OSV demands evaluation and principle growth. Biggs included that the MHC group had actually additionally finished ” a number of style trips around the depictive industrial style … that’s permitted us to concentrate on a variety of points around our need.”

DE&S in July 2024 introduced that it was granting Kongsberg Support and Aerospace an eight-month MHC OSV Style Trip agreement moneying the firm to analyze if its Vanguard design might be used to show the viability of a a sign industrial style as the basis for the OSV need. This agreement finished at the end March 2025.

According to Biggs, vital factors to consider for the OSV consist of the intricacies around goal system combination, launch and healing, combination with C2, lodging, and to what degree the style is ‘minimally customized’ in regard of qualification and survivability. ” We expect more market involvement later on this year,” he included. “This is a program that is currently quite moving.”

A registered nurse resource informed Naval Information that the goal was for the OSV to be a much less complicated vessel, therefore permitting better financial investment to be made in the MHC goal systems and connected hauls. There was additionally a need to make sure that future MHC goal system choices need to not be constricted to a specific size/length of USV, and would certainly use adaptability to begin various other vehicles/payloads beyond the MCM duty. Both open aft functioning decks and hangar-type setups continue to be under testimonial. As pertains to the launch and healing of USVs, the MHC program goes to this phase leaning in the direction of a demanding ramp system: to get even more experience around, the MoD is proactively taking a look at placing a ramp on the strict of RFA Stirling Castle It is expected that a basic function crane will certainly be fitted on the OSV to enable the embarkation/disembarkation of various other hauls, and ‘over the side’ launch and healing of USVs and various other craft in a lot more benign sea problems.

The message UK sets out plans for Offshore Support Vessels under MHC Block 2 showed up initially on Naval News.