New RAS'll dazzle them at Raleigh

A NEW £25m mock-up refuelling complex is to be built at HMS Raleigh to meet the demands of 21st Century warships.

Replenishing at Sea – known throughout the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary as ‘RASing’ – is vital to support the operations of Britain’s warships around the globe.

There’s already a replica RAS rig at the Torpoint establishment, where sailors from both the RN and RFA learn the art of transferring fuel, ammunition and general stores from one ship to another in a benign environment ashore.

With the shape and size of the Fleet changing – the new Type 45 destroyers are roughly double the size of the Type 42s they replace, while the future carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales will be three times as large as the Invincible-class they replace – a new training centre is required.

When it opens in 2014, the replacement complex – being built by Rolls-Royce – will feature a classroom plus two replica ship upper decks equipped with the latest RAS technology, all on hydraulics to simulate the roll of the vessels.

The facility will be fitted with the new Heavy RAS equipment, capable of carrying up to five tonnes of stores, instead of the existing RAS rigs which are limited to just two tonnes. The new system will be expected to deal with up to 25 loads transferred every hour.

“This new training facility will allow us to properly and safely prepare our crews for the challenges they will face at sea, particularly in our new Type 45 destroyers and new class of aircraft carriers, before they undertake the task for real,” said Raleigh’s CO Capt Steve Murdoch.

“It is one of the most hazardous seamanship tasks the Royal Navy engages in and so the training we provide must be of the highest standard.

“This maintains the safety of our ships’ crews and ensures that vital supplies are transferred successfully.”