Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship
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The Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS) is a type of
research Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
and
surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
ship currently in development for the United Kingdom's
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
. Two ships are currently planned with them both being used by the RFA to research and protect critical undersea national infrastructure, such as
undersea cables Submarine cable is any electrical cable that is laid on the seabed The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as 'seabeds'. The structure of the ...
and gas pipelines, in both British and international waters.


Background

With around 380 in use across the world, undersea cables play a key role in the global economy by carrying trillions of dollars worth in financial transfers and transmitting 97% of the world's global communications. The UK, like most countries, is heavily reliant on undersea cables for its telecommunications and so considers them part of its
critical national infrastructure Critical infrastructure (or critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the UK) is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy – the infrastructure. Most commonly associated wit ...
. Due to their importance, they represent a potential high value target of hostile state interference and sabotage. In 2015, the Russian Navy commissioned ''Yantar'', a research vessel which has since been sighted in the vicinity of undersea cables with an alleged capability to tamper with them. In December 2017, UK Chief of Defence Staff Sir
Stuart Peach Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach, (born 22 February 1956) is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. ...
warned that Russia's modernised navy and increased submarine activity in the Atlantic could pose a significant threat to the UK's undersea cables. He warned that Russia could strike a "catastrophic" blow to the country's economy by cutting, disrupting or
wire-tapping Telephone tapping (also wire tapping or wiretapping in American English) is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitorin ...
its undersea cables. In 2021, the British government published the
Integrated Review The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, often known as the Integrated Review, and titled as ''Global Britain in a Competitive Age'', was a review carried out by the British government led by Boris Johnson into th ...
, a foreign, defence, security and international development policy review, which declared that the ocean was facing pressures caused by climate change and environment degradation, as well as growing tensions around maritime choke points, migration and piracy. This, it stated, negatively impacted livelihoods around the world and impacted the ocean's biological and mineral resources. MROSS will not be the first vessels used by the
Naval Service Naval Service may refer to either: * His Majesty's Naval Service, Britain's Royal Navy plus additional services * Naval Service (Ireland), a branch of the Irish Defence Forces * United States Department of the Navy, United States military department ...
for research and surveillance. The Royal Navy's Hydrographic Squadron currently consists of five ships: subsea support vessel , inshore and coastal survey vessel , ocean survey vessel and two ''Echo''-class survey ships. In the past, the Royal Navy also operated , a specialist diving vessel commissioned in 1983, which took part in clandestine deep diving operations at the end of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. When she decommissioned in 1990, she left a capability gap which may be filled by MROSS.


Development

The Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship programme was first publicly announced as part of the
Integrated Review The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, often known as the Integrated Review, and titled as ''Global Britain in a Competitive Age'', was a review carried out by the British government led by Boris Johnson into th ...
, a foreign, defence, security and international development policy review published by the British government in March 2021. The review stated that a singular ship would be procured to help deliver a government commitment to protecting the UK's critical national infrastructure and help further its knowledge of the maritime environment. It was also a part of a 30-year National Shipbuilding Strategy and likely to be built in Scotland. By October 2021, the first ship had entered the concept and assessment phase. In October 2022, amid suspected Russian sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, British Defence Secretary
Ben Wallace Ben Wallace most commonly refers to: *Ben Wallace (basketball) (born 1974), American basketball player *Ben Wallace (politician) (born 1970), British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace may also refer to: * Benjamin Wallace (circus owner) (1 ...
announced that two MROSS ships would be procured. The first ship is to be procured as a ready-built commercial vessel and converted, ready for service in 2023. The second vessel will be purpose-built in the UK. In November 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced that the programme would be accelerated using funds gained through the cancellation of the National Flagship, a vessel which was to be used by
the monarch This is a list of main and recurring fictional characters from ''The Venture Bros.'', a comic science fiction television series broadcast on Adult Swim. Overview Team Venture Team Venture comprises the central characters in the show; they for ...
and government officials to promote UK interests abroad. The MOD also confirmed that the first MROSS vessel would enter service with the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
in January 2023. In January 2023, the first vessel MV ''Topaz Tangaroa'' was acquired and is to enter service as RFA ''
Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
''. She was purchased for and is to be converted to act as a mothership for autonomous systems and have military communications and light defensive armament added. Conversion work will be carried out at
Cammell Laird Cammell Laird is a British shipbuilding company. It was formed from the merger of Laird Brothers of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century. The company also built railway rolling stock until 1929, ...
's facility in
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
, England.


Characteristics

The first MROSS vessel, RFA ''Proteus'', is a ready-built commercial vessel which has undergone conversion, whilst the second vessel will be purpose-built in the UK. As such, the two vessels are likely to have different designs and characteristics. ''Proteus'' was built in Norway in 2019 and will be equipped to operate autonomous submersibles. She has diesel-electric propulsion with powerful twin bow thrusters to "hold a precise stationary position when working over subsea installations". She is also equipped with a moon pool, permitting a sheltered way for robot submersibles to be launched or recovered in high sea states. The ship is 98.1 metres-long with a flight deck, heavy duty crane and 1,000 square meters of cargo space. She has a displacement of 6,000 tonnes and will be crewed by around two dozen RFA sailors and up to 60 Royal Navy specialists. Whilst both ships will be primarily tasked with survey duties and the protection of the UK's undersea cables and energy supplies, they will also be capable of supporting other defence tasks, such as exercises and operations in the Arctic.


References

{{reflist Proposed ships of the Royal Navy United Kingdom defence procurement Auxiliary research ship classes