HMS Ocean (L12)

HMS Ocean, in parade formation.jpg
HMS Ocean (L12)
Career (United Kingdom)
Name: HMS Ocean
Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: 11 May 1993
Builder: Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, Kværner (Govan)
Laid down: 30 May 1994
Launched: 11 October 1995
Sponsored by: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Commissioned: 30 September 1998
Homeport: HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Motto: "Boldly Faithfully Happily"
Nickname: "The Might O"
Honours and
awards:		 Al Faw 2003
General characteristics
Class and type: 'Ocean'-class Landing Platform, Helicopter
Displacement: 22,500 tons[1]
Length: 203.4 m (667 ft)[2]
Beam: 35 m (115 ft)[2]
Draught: 6.5 m (21 ft)[2]
Propulsion: 2 × Crossley Pielstick diesel engines
1 × Kamewa bow thruster [Currently removed]
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h) cruise
18 knots (33 km/h) max[3]
Range: 8,000 miles
Boats and landing
craft carried:		 4 x Mk 5B Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP)
Capacity: 830 Royal Marines and equipment
40 vehicles[2]
Complement: 285 officers and crew + 180 Fleet Air Arm[2]
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Radar 996
Radar 1007
Electronic warfare
and decoys:		 UAT Electronic Support Measures
Armament: 3x Phalanx CIWS
4x 20mm[2]
Aircraft carried: Up to 18 helicopters (typically Westland Commando and Lynx but also Merlins, Boeing Chinooks, Westland Apache), capable of carrying (but not operating) up to 15 VTOL aircraft such as RAF Harrier II

HMS Ocean (L12) of the Royal Navy is an Amphibious assault ship (or Landing Platform Helicopter) (or Helicopter carrier), the sole member of her class. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force. She is currently the largest ship in the Royal Navy.

She was constructed in the mid 1990s by Kvaerner Govan Ltd on the Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furness prior to first of class trials and subsequent acceptance in service. She was commissioned in September 1998 at her home port Devonport, Plymouth, Devon.

HMS Ocean returned from her 27,000 mile (43,500 km) TAURUS 09 deployment to the Far East on 3 August 2009. She is currently involved in Exercise Auriga 2010 in North Atlantic and Eastern seaboard of the USA.

Contents

Construction

An invitation to tender for a new helicopter carrier was issued in February 1992.[4] In February 1993 The Times reported that the carrier faced cancellation due to budgetary constraints.[5] However, at approximately the same time, British forces were engaged in operations in the Balkans, which saw the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's aviation training ship RFA Argus pressed into service as an LPH. Argus proved totally unsuitable in terms of accommodation and facilities needed for a large Embarked Military Force (EMF), which emphasised the need for a purpose built platform.[3] On 29 March 1993 the defence procurement minister announced that development of the new LPH was proceeding.[6]

Two shipbuilders competed for the contract - Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (VSEL) and Swan Hunter. On 11 May 1993 the government announced VSEL had won the contract.[7] The build was to commercial standards, reducing costs significantly and leading to a construction spend of £154 million (£234 million as of 2011),[8], comparable to that of a Type 23 frigate. VSEL, a warship manufacturer, sub-contracted the build phase to the commercial Kværner yard in Govan, Glasgow.

The fact that VSEL's bid was £71 million lower than Swan Hunter's was the source of political controversy and lead to a National Audit Office investigation to determine whether the competition was fair. The report, published on 29 July 1993, stated that although VSEL did subsidise its bid the MoD was right to award the contract to VSEL because the subsidy was much smaller than the difference between the two bids; VSEL's bid was £139.5 million compared to Swan Hunter's £210.6 million. The Times also suggested that the subsidy was as little as £10 million.[9] In anticipation of the report the Financial Times described the different philosophies adopted by the two bidders; While Swan Hunter viewed the ships as entirely military, "VSEL thought the design was basically a merchant ship with military hardware bolted on." VSEL's decision to sub-contract the build phase took advantage of lower overheads at a civilian yard as well as efficiency drives by its parent, Kværner.[10] The cut-price build to commercial standards means that HMS Ocean has a projected operational life of just 20 years,[3] significantly less than that of other warships.

Launched on 11 October 1995, she was subsequently named at Barrow by Her Majesty the Queen on 20 February 1998, prior to delivery to Devonport.

In her sea trial she managed to reach a top speed of 20.6 knots, however her usual top speed is 18 knots now totally fitted out and with the addition of new equipment.[11]

Service history

While Ocean was undertaking the warm water element of her first-of-class trials, she provided humanitarian assistance in Honduras following Hurricane Mitch.

During 2000 Ocean supported Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone, joining HMS Illustrious aiding the suppression of rebel activity with her own EMF and providing support facilities for the Spearhead battalion ashore.

HMS Ocean showing Landing Craft on davits and Stern Ramp deployed

On 17 February 2002, a unit of Royal Marines from Ocean accidentally landed in the San Felipe beach in the Spanish town of La Linea instead of Gibraltar causing a minor diplomatic incident as various media outlets labelled the mistake as an "invasion".[12]

Ocean was part of a large Royal Navy task force deployed for Operation Telic, the UK contribution to the 2003 Iraq War. In the helicopter assault role she was accompanied by HMS Ark Royal.

In the summer of 2006, she was deployed as part of the task force involved in the Aurora exercises on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

In 2007, Ocean began her first long refit period. This was carried out by Devonport Management Limited at their Devonport Royal Dockyard facility and lasted around twelve months, during which period, Ark Royal took over the LPH role. HMS Ocean sailed from Plymouth on Wednesday 24 September 2008 to start sea trials, following this major period of maintenance and upgrading work.[13] As part of that upgrade a PyTEC pyrolysising waste recycling unit was fitted.[14]

On 18 February 2009, Ocean sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson. She is joined on this deployment by Landing Platform Dock HMS Bulwark, as Hudson's flagship, Type 23 Frigates HMS Argyll and HMS Somerset and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[15]

During the air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption Prime Minister Gordon Brown assigned Ocean and other units to rescue stranded travellers and army personnel across the English Channel in Operation Cunningham.[16]

Role

US Marines ride the forward aircraft lift into HMS Ocean's hangar deck during an exercise in 1999
HMS Ocean's vehicle deck

Ocean was designed to provide the amphibious assault capabilities last offered by HMS Albion and Bulwark whilst in the Commando role. She can deploy an Embarked Military Force (EMF) of a Royal Marines Commando Group from 3 Commando Brigade supported by aviation and landing craft assets. The ships company includes 9 Assault Squadron from 1 Assault Group Royal Marines.

Ocean is also capable of limited Anti Submarine Warfare activities, supporting afloat training and acting as a base facility for other embarked forces including Counter-terrorism units.

Aviation

The air group of up to 12 Sea King HC4 medium-lift helicopters, six Lynx AH7 light-lift/anti-tank helicopters are provided by the Commando Helicopter Force. However, she can also support the Apache AH1 operated by the Army Air Corps and helicopters of the Royal Air Force including the Chinook.

Ocean can transport up to 15 fixed wing Harrier[17] aircraft of Joint Force Harrier in the ferry role, but is unable to operate as a fixed wing aircraft carrier.

Landing Craft

4 Mk5B LCVP are permanently embarked and manned by 9 Assault Squadron Royal Marines[18].

Affiliations

HMS Ocean (centre right) in a five-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/fleet-today/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Royal Navy Handbook, 2003, Ministry of Defence, page 92
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "HMS Ocean". navy-matters.beedall.com. 2001-05-07. http://navy-matters.beedall.com/ocean.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-07. 
  4. ↑ Fairhill, David (1992-02-14). "£500 million to be spent on new assault vessels". The Times (Times Newspapers): p. 15. 
  5. ↑ Evans, Michael (1993-02-03). "Spending axe falls on £170m carrier". The Times (Times Newspapers). 
  6. ↑ White, David; Tighe, Chris (1993-03-30). "MoD revives £170m helicopter carrier plan". Financial Times: p. 15. 
  7. ↑ Duce, Richard (1993-05-12). "Barrow ship order dismays Tyneside". The Times (Times Newspapers). 
  8. ↑ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Measuring Worth: UK CPI.
  9. ↑ Tighe, Chris; Green, Daniel (1993-06-30). "VSEL subsidised Navy ship bid". The Times (Times Newspapers): p. 7. 
  10. ↑ Green, Daniel (1993-07-21). "Strategy to win a sea battle: How a civilian shipyard helped VSEL cut costs and gain a Royal Navy order". Financial Times. 
  11. ↑ http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/publications/cyberpioneer/weapon/2007/dec07_weapon.html.print.html?Status=1
  12. ↑ Tell it to the marines... we've invaded the wrong country - The Guardian
  13. ↑ http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/OceanBackAtSeaAfter30mRefit.htm
  14. ↑ "Energy from waste powers US army". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8290130.stm. Retrieved October 4, 2009. 
  15. ↑ Royal Navy Website, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.7202
  16. ↑ http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/19/uk-deploys-royal-navy-warships/
  17. ↑ BBC News 30th September 1998, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/183577.stm
  18. ↑ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/assault-ships/hms-ocean/ship-s-departments/9-assault-squadron-rm/

External links