Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme

The Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme (FSSP) aims to deliver up to three <a href="/facts/Fleet_solid_support_ship/eDBMuI0n">fleet solid support ships</a> to the British <a href="/facts/Royal_Fleet_Auxiliary/1J7t2o7K">Royal Fleet Auxiliary</a>. The ships will be used to provide underway replenishment of dry stores, such as ammunition, spare parts and supplies, to ships of the <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy/Xdy8YCH7">Royal Navy</a>. They will regularly deploy with the <a href="/facts/UK_Carrier_Strike_Group/ykP0BTxQ">UK Carrier Strike Group</a>, providing crucial supplies to the <a href="/facts/Queen_Elizabeth-class_aircraft_carrier/ekrgADVl">Queen Elizabeth-class</a> <a href="/facts/Aircraft_carrier/90vrSN0V">aircraft carriers</a> and their escorts. All three ships had been scheduled to enter service between 2028 and 2032. However, subsequently the Ministry of Defence indicated that the first ship would in fact not be operational until 2031.
The ships were first proposed by the British government in 2015 as part of the <a href="/facts/Strategic_Defence_and_Security_Review_2015/WsmAVCKn">Strategic Defence and Security Review</a>. In the subsequent National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government outlined its intentions to tender the ships internationally to encourage competitiveness with British shipyards. This was criticised by some political parties and trade unions as being a potential loss of British shipbuilding jobs and skills. Following a competition, which began in 2018, Team Resolute was awarded a contract for the three vessels; <a href="/facts/BMT_Group/xRIlgjX2">BMT Group</a> will provide the design, whilst <a href="/facts/Harland_%2526_Wolff/9qtDYQ1c">Harland & Wolff</a> and <a href="/facts/Navantia_UK/DMcSJ7Gd">Navantia UK</a> will construct them.

Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme open-in-new

Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme