Project Description
When aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, the UK’s largest warship, had to step in to lead NATO’s biggest exercise in decades the teams from DE&S worked at pace around the clock in partnership with the Royal Navy and industry to get her ready to sail in just seven days.
To put this into context, the normal time it takes to get a ship of this type ready for deployment is 30 days.
HMS Prince of Wales was tasked at the 11th hour with leading an international task group in one of the most important military exercises in a generation, NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender.
We worked across the enterprise with BAE and the Royal Navy to put together and agree a one week plan to ensure HMS Prince of Wales could take her place leading that exercise.
The ship was about to enter a planned fleet time support period for key maintenance, safety certification and repair work, as well as capability checks. That meant the teams had to work even harder to meet her seven day sailing availability target while getting as much of this work done as possible.
A combination of team work, fast thinking and swift decision making made sure the ship sailed on time to fulfil the UK’s NATO commitment.
The carrier’s Logistics Officer, Lieutenant Commander Chris Barnett, said:
“In less than a week we brought onboard approximately 70,000 sailors’ day rations – £400,000 of food – with 450 pallets of stores and 30,000 toilet rolls; not to mention spare parts for F-35 Lightnings, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, cold weather kit, and medical stores. It has been an amazing effort from all involved.
“We’re proud to be part of this enterprise and ensure we deliver capable platforms, with excellent availability that remain safe to operate for the Armed Forces.”
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Capt Duncan Humphery, Capital Ships Team Leader at DE&S, said:
“Across the week BAE, their contractors and Ship Staff all worked together to ensure that the seven-day work package was achieved.
“The ship was handed back to ship staff ready for basin trials on Saturday, as planned, and the Commanding Officer sailed her from Portsmouth on the Monday.”
He added:
“To turn her round to be available for the NATO exercises within seven days was a challenge Herculean in stature.”
As a result, HMS Prince of Wales led a carrier strike group of eight ships – four of them British, including frigate HMS Somerset and two Tide-class tankers from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – supported by US, Spanish and Danish vessels.
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