UK ‘drone ships’ of the future revealed as navy chief visits Appledore

Appledore Shipyard has welcomed a Royal Navy rear admiral to show him progress on the current support ships being built for the UK as well as to showcase its new ‘drone vessel’ concept.

Rear Admiral Matthew Stratton, Director of Naval Acquisition, toured the Navantia UK yard to meet staff and receive an update regarding progress on the Fleet Solid Support programme, a major contract to construct three support vessels for the Royal Navy.

He also heard about the continued modernisation of the yard as part of Navantia UK’s £157million investment programme and the company's UK-designed LASV75 autonomous vessel concept.

Appledore is constructing the bow sections of all three support vessels, with final assembly, systems integration and testing taking place at Navantia UK's Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.

Steel was cut at Appledore for the first FSS vessel in December, marking the formal start of construction and work proceeds apace.

Rear Admiral Stratton also received an update on progress across the programme and viewed recently upgraded facilities, including Appledore's new Pipe Shop and modern plasma-cutting equipment.

Plus he heard how the company’s LASV75 concept has matured since its launch at the Combined Naval Event (CNE) in May and on Navantia UK's advanced build strategy for delivering large autonomous vessels at pace and scale in support of the Royal Navy's hybrid fleet.

The uncrewed vessels could carry out a range of roles within the hybrid navy - including Anti-Air Warfare (AAW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Naval Fires (NF), countering land-based threats - as well as sensing, operational or a combination.

It can be easily switched to different modes even while at sea and manufactured at scale, with Navantia saying it can be built at a “significantly lower cost” than crewed vessels.

Navantia UK says it has developed a clear route to manufacture for the LASV75, bringing together digital design, modular construction and advanced production methods with the industrial capacity being established across its four UK yards.

The company said Appledore was ideally set up to build such vessels and could produce two per year.

Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK, said: “We were delighted to welcome Rear Admiral Stratton to Appledore and to update him on the contribution the yard is making to the Fleet Solid Support programme.

“The work underway here demonstrates how FSS is supporting investment not only in new ships, but also in the people, technology and industrial capability needed to sustain UK shipbuilding over the long term.

“Our immediate priority remains the successful delivery of the three FSS vessels. At the same time, the capabilities we are developing across Appledore and our wider UK yards will put us in a strong position to support the Royal Navy as it considers the future balance between crewed ships, autonomous platforms and new technologies.”

Rear Admiral Matthew Stratton commented: “It was a real pleasure to visit the Navantia Appledore Shipyard and experience first-hand the capabilities the yard offers and understand the investment in people and equipment that is taking place under Navantia ownership in North Devon.”

On the FSS programme, he said: “The modernisation of the Navantia UK yards is a critical enabler to the successful delivery of the FSS programme as the UK modernises its RFA Solid Support capabilities in support of Carrier Strike capability.

“The importance of the FSS programme has been reconfirmed through the DIP and I was delighted to be updated on progress of the programme.”