UK Fleet Solid Support ship programme achieves preliminary design review milestone

The successful completion of the PDR for the FSS programme paves the way to start the detailed design phase. (Team Resolute)

The Spanish/UK industry consortium Team Resolute has successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme.

In a 21 October statement, Navantia said the PDR was completed during working sessions held between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Navantia UK as prime contractor for the programme, and BMT, which led the functional design phase.

According to Navantia, the PDR milestone confirmed the robustness and maturity of the design and enables the programme to transition from engineering functional design into the detailed design phase. The programme remains on track to start construction of the lead vessel as planned in 2025, the shipbuilder added.

Team Resolute – led by prime contractor Navantia UK, a subsidiary of Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia, and including BMT and Harland & Wolff – was awarded a GBP1.6 billion (USD2 billion) contract to deliver the three-ship FSS programme on 18 January 2023 after being selected as the preferred bidder in November 2022.

The FSS ships are being procured to replace RFA Fort Austin , RFA Fort Rosalie , and RFA Fort Victoria and will provide munitions, stores, and provisions to the UK Carrier Strike Group while under way at sea. Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie were sold to Egypt in 2021, while Fort Victoria is scheduled to retire in 2028.