Rolls-Royce’s Mission Bay Handling System (MBHS) has been selected for Batch 2 of the Royal Navy’s Global Combat Ship variant, the Type 26 City-class frigate.
Five MBHSs will be delivered under the contract awarded by lead contractor BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited, with delivery of the first system scheduled for this summer.
Manufacturing will take place at Rolls-Royce’s Canadian Naval Handling Centre of Excellence in Peterborough, Ontario.
The company was earlier contracted for three MBHSs for the program’s Batch 1.
“This is a huge win for Rolls-Royce in Canada and our team in Peterborough,” Programme Executive – Naval Handling Systems for Rolls-Royce Defence Jessica Banks said.
“Our Mission Bay Handling System is perfectly designed for modern naval operations, providing adaptable and flexible integration solutions suitable for a wide range of activities.”
Construction of all eight City-class vessels is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with the first ship, HMS Glasgow, entering service by the end of 2028.
Mission Bay Handling System
The Mission Bay Handling System helps move containerized mission modules on an open ship deck or inside a mission bay without the aid of a dockside crane.
Its hydraulic boom enables safe and efficient deployment and recovery of manned/unmanned surface vessels from both sides of the ship, even in challenging sea conditions up to sea state 6.
“We have a superb piece of equipment unique to the UK Royal Navy that will significantly strengthen our capability,” Ian Brown of UK’s Defence Equipment and Support said.
“There has been a lot of effort and collaboration and the network this has brought together has been invaluable. I look forward to the future of installing and working on HMS Glasgow, then handing it over to the Navy to prove its full capabilities and functionality.”