Royal Navy’s Largest Warship Continues with Major Dry Docking

The Plymouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy’s largest warship, is making good progress as she is dry-docked for major improvements to Royal Marine accommodation.

Rarely seen glimpses of the amphibious Commando and helicopter carrier‘s lower hull  show off her imposing lines below the waterline in a cavernous dry dock in HM Naval Base. 

The ship is halfway through a six-month period out of water enabling her to be given a new lease of life for another 15 years or more.  She is having her engines and other mechanics overhauled and the accommodation (sleeping areas,  bathrooms, mess decks and recreational areas),  modernised.  A wholesale refurbishment of the galley  (kitchens) will also ensure the whole ship’s company experiences an enhanced quality of catering support.

Improved accommodation is needed because the ship is now expected to travel further with additional Royal Marines or Army  units on board than when originally designed to combat the Soviet threat and was only expected to sail to the Atlantic and North Sea. The standard of accommodation is therefore, being raised to allow troops to prepare for operations in  more comfort  in the focused mindset.

HMS Ocean’s Commanding Officer David  Salisbury, of Fareham, Hampshire,  said:  “HMS Ocean  is half way through a major docking period from  which she will emerge phoenix-like from the ashes as the most powerful and capable multi-tasking  ship  in the Royal Navy – as an amphibious commando carrier ship in the Royal Navy.  HMS Ocean gives us the unrivalled ability to project forces such as commando units ashore anywhere in the world by landing craft or helicopters and sustain them ashore.

“She might look like a building site at present with the scaffolding and pipes and  workers crawling all over her, but she will soon be the potent force she was designed to be, but only more so.  We will have renewed confidence in her mechanical ability and with new standards of accommodation to last until at least 2022.”

He said  the major project showed off the ability of the Royal Navy to work as a team with the major contractor Babcock Marine and supervisors Superindenant  Fleet Maintenance under the umbrella of the MoD agency Defence Equipment and Supplies. The dry docking has  also allowed the ship’s company to attend professional and personal development  courses and sporting events.

HMS Ocean is expected to be refloated in early summer.  Most of the project will be complete by mid-year  followed by sea trials and operational sea training before deploying on operations in early 2009.