Related Stories: Britain/U.K., Contracts - Awards, Engines & Propulsion - Naval, Other Corporation, Surface Ships - Other
at Portsmouth Naval Base
(click to view larger)
By the end of 2010, the UK expects to receive faster, more maneuverable, and more powerful tugs to guide destroyers and aircraft carriers in and out of British ports, under the GBP 1 billion Future Provision Marine Services contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence to Serco Denholm in 2007.
Called “tugs of the future,” the new fleet of 29 marine service vessels will guide the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers and eventually Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers out of Portsmouth Naval Base and other naval bases around the country.
The new Azimuth drive tugs will be able to move more quickly and pull heavier weights than the current fleet of twin-unit tractor tugs (TUTTs).
(computer model)
leaving Portsmouth Harbor
(click to view larger)
The new tugs will be either Azimuth stern-drive (ASDs) and Azimuth forward-drive (AFDs) tugs. The greater maneuverability and power comes from propellers at the front or the stern as opposed to the TUTT cycloidal drive in the middle.
According to Pat McFayden, Marine Services Superintendent at Portsmouth Naval Base:
“In Portsmouth we are changing the whole fleet. There will be six new tugs in total, of which we already have three, as well as two pilot boats and a small work boat with a further three tugs and a 1,500-tonne fuel lighter still to arrive, so we are well on target.
“We will eventually have four 40-tonne and two 20-tonne Twin Azimuth tugs, which is a significant increase in capability, so we can now look forward to easily coping with the size of the new capital ships.”
With the new fleet also comes a new set of instructions for the harbor masters, mates and engineers, who are being trained up on how to pilot the tugs.
The training sees the operators take part in simulator training, go on a tug-handling course, and undergo command and control training with the Admiralty Pilots.
As well as being taught in the classroom, the masters and mates also get practical lessons in the water – spending hours in the harbor maneuvering against ships to ensure they will be ready to take control once the tugs are fully introduced.
