£17m makeover for HMS York
12 Feb 08
The Royal Navy Type 42 destroyer HMS York is set to sail on into the 21st Century thanks to a £17m maintenance contract with Portsmouth based Fleet Support Limited.
HMS York
[Picture: Royal Navy]
Work scheduled for the warship's upkeep includes maintenance of the Sea Dart missile launcher to sustain Air Defence Systems, improvements to the ship's fuel efficiency, and the upgrading of the galley and domestic equipment to improve living conditions for personnel serving onboard.
One of the major tasks of the ship's refit will include the running of miles of cabling throughout the vessel for rewiring the ship's communication systems and the installation of a new IT network. The ship's interior accommodation and crew facilities will also see improvements.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said:
"A vibrant shipbuilding industry is essential to the UK. This is important for contracts for new powerful ships and the vital maintenance and upkeep work to our existing fleet.
"This £17 million contract to Fleet Support Limited is excellent news for Portsmouth and will ensure HMS York remains capable of playing a valuable front line role in future operations."
HMS York is the first refit of 2008 for Fleet Support Limited. Work on the ship has already started and is due for completion in 2009.
The contract for HMS York's refit was negotiated as part of the developing Surface Ship Support (SSS) Project which is a significant part of the maritime element of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). The SSS project is exploring ways to deliver efficient, affordable and sustainable surface ship support for the Navy.