BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions

BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, based in Glasgow responsible for the company's surface shipbuilding operations. On 1 July 2008 it was merged into BVT Surface Fleet, a joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Group.

History

When BAE Systems was created the former Marconi shipyards were vested in BAE Systems Marine.

In 2003 BAE Systems Marine was split; the shipyards at Scotstoun (formerly YSL) and Govan (formerly Kvaerner Govan Ltd were transferred to BAE Systems Naval Ships. The third yard at Barrow-in-Furness became BAE Systems Submarines. This reorganisation was "to provide a focus on the UK and export surface warship building market."

On 1 January 2007 BAE Systems Naval Ships was merged with the naval section of BAE Systems Customer Solutions & Support to become BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions. CS&S Naval provided maintenance, repairs, minor and major refits for naval vessels. Past projects include reactivation of the Upholder class, now reactivated as the Victoria Class submarines for the Canadian Government, and Vanguard class upgrades. CS&S Naval has completed the reactivation of the Royal Navy's Type 22 Frigates for Romania and has worked on a similar programme for Chile involving the refurbishment of three ex-Royal Navy Type 23 frigates.

Products

As well as through life ship-repair services, the division's major construction projects included:
*Type 45 destroyer (in partnership with VT Group)
*Type 23 frigate
*Offshore Patrol Vessels
*Bay Class LSD(A) (in partnership with Swan Hunter)
*Wave Knight Class Auxiliary Tankers

BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was responsible for the construction of the majority of the blocks of Type 45 destroyers (stern to bridge, excluding masts and funnels) as well as the assembly of these blocks and the two from VT Group (compromising all of the ship in front of the bridge). When launched from Scotstoun the ships are towed to Govan to be fitted with the VT-built masts and funnels, before returning to dry dock at Scotsoun for outfitting with radar arrays (SAMPSON and S1850M), bulbous bow, propellers, missile equipment and 4.5 inch naval gun.

BAE Systems completed three Nakhoda Ragam class Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal Brunei Navy, however the customer has refused to accept the vessels. The contract was awarded to GEC-Marconi in 1995 and the ships were launched in January 2001, June 2001 and June 2002 at the then BAE Systems Marine yard at Scotstoun. The ships are armed with MBDA Exocet Block II anti-ship missiles and MBDA Seawolf air defence missiles. The contract dispute was the subject of arbitration. The vessel left Scotstoun in 2007 in the hands of shipbrokers for onward sale.

External links

* [http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/search.asp The Clyde-built ships data base - lists over 22,000 ships built on the Clyde]