RFA Proteus: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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| Ship acquired = 14 February 2023

| Ship bought =

| Ship sponsor = [[~~Priyanka~~Akshata ~~Kompella~~Murty]]<ref name="RN surveillance ship">{{cite web|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/october/10/20231010-uk-protection-enhanced-as-underwater-surveillance-ship-enters-service |title=UK protection enhanced as underwater surveillance ship enters service|date=10 October 2023|access-date=10 November 2023|website=Royal Navy}}</ref>

| Ship commissioned =

| Ship decommissioned =

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| Ship status = In active service

| Ship notes =

| Ship badge = [[File:HMS Proteus Ships Badge.jpg|100px]]

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

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Owing to the UK's government's growing concern about protecting subsea infrastructure, and the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], ''Topaz Tangaroa'' was purchased by the UK's [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in February 2023 for £70 million to be converted into a multi-role ocean surveillance (MROS) ship operated by the [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.navylookout.com/first-images-of-new-multi-role-ocean-support-ship-mros-renamed-rfa-proteus/|title=First images of new Multi Role Ocean Support ship (MROS) renamed RFA Proteus |date=4 April 2023 |accessdate=2023-08-06 |website=Navy Lookout}}</ref> The ship was assigned the [[pennant number]] K60. Initial conversion for naval service is being conducted at the [[Cammell Laird]] shipyard in [[Birkenhead]], UK.

The MROS was initially announced by the [[Secretary of State for Defence|Defence Secretary]] [[Ben Wallace (politician)|Ben Wallace]] during the 2022 [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] conference. Then-[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Boris Johnson]] had first discussed the possibility of such a vessel in November 2020.<ref name="navylookoutMROS">{{cite web|url=https://www.navylookout.com/protecting-seabed-infrastructure-uk-multi-role-ocean-surveillance-ship-to-be-in-service-by-2023/|title=Protecting seabed infrastructure – UK Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship to be in service by 2023|date=23 October 2022|access-date=2023-04-05|website=Navy Lookout}}</ref>

She is equipped with a {{convert|120-|tonne}} crane as well as a [[hangar]] and workshops capable of accommodating remotely operated and other [[unmanned underwater vehicle]]s (UUVs). The Ministry of Defence reportedly acquired three [[Kongsberg Maritime|Kongsberg]] HUGIN Large UUVs which reportedly can conduct surveillance and surveys down to depths of {{convert|6000|m}}.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Marine Robots |url=https://www.kongsberg.com/discovery/products/marine-robots/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7JOpBhCfARIsAL3bobcDLCuOZBcH2dyCrxXJ0ay7ReM1ZTVzWtxDnnbu1YVnAzZjHxE7knEaAgE2EALw_wcB |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=Kongsberg}}</ref>

Conversion of ''Proteus'' was completed in September 2023 and the ship began post-conversion sea trials.<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1702944573838840061?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet |title=@NavyLookout Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) @RFAProteus is finally due to leave @CammellLaird shipyard today following conversion work. |number=1702944573838840061 |user=NavyLookout |date=16 September 2023 |access-date=16 September 2023}}</ref> She formally entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in October 2023.<ref name=navalnews20230531>[https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/cne-2023/2023/05/uk-details-delivery-timeframes-and-capabilities-for-mross-ships/ UK Details Delivery Timeframes And Capabilities For MROSS Ships], Lee Willet, Naval News, 31 May 2023.</ref><ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/> A formal dedication ceremony took place in [[London]] on the [[River Thames]], in the presence of the RFA [[Commodore-in-Chief]], [[Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh]], and [[Akshata Murty]], wife of the incumbent Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]], who will be the ship's sponsor throughout its active life, with ''Proteus'' berthed alongside the [[Imperial War Museum]]'s preserved {{sclass2|Town|cruiser (1936)|0}} [[light cruiser]], {{HMS|Belfast|C35|6}}.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 October 2023 |title=DE&S team proud to attend ceremony for RFA Proteus |url=https://des.mod.uk/des-team-proud-to-attend-ceremony-for-rfa-proteus/ |website=des.mod.uk |publisher=Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |access-date=13 June 2024}}</ref>

File:RFA Proteus and HMS Belfast from Horizon 22.jpg|RFA ''Proteus'' and HMS ''Belfast'' from the Horizon 22 viewing gallery, [[22 Bishopsgate]], [[City of London]], the day before the formal dedication ceremony.

</gallery>

== Design and facilities ==

RFA ''Proteus'' is a former offshore support vessel, [[Vard]] designed, the hull was constructed at their Tulcea shipyard in [[Romania]] and then fitted out at their [[Brattvåg]] facility in [[Norway]], completed in 2019. Intended for work in the offshore oil industry its role was supporting relative construction, maintenance and inspection work and was already equipped to operate [[Autonomous underwater vehicle|Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)]].<ref name="navylookoutprotreuspurchase">{{cite web|url=https://www.navylookout.com/uk-purchases-commercial-vessel-for-conversion-to-ocean-surveillance-ship/ |title=UK purchases commercial vessel for conversion to ocean surveillance ship |website=navylookout.com |date=17 January 2023 |accessdate=22 November 2023}}</ref>

The ship is capable of a top speed of 14 [[Knot (unit)|knot]]s, but it has a typical cruising speed of 11 knots. It is equipped with 5 x [[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar]] [[diesel engine]]s, these required to supply power for the ship, along with the [[stern]] [[azimuth thruster]]s, the twin [[Bow (watercraft)|bow]] [[Maneuvering thruster|tunnel thruster]]s and a drop-down azimuth bow thruster. It also has a Rolls-Royce Icon [[Dynamic Positioning]] system Class II, which enables the ship to remain stationary and includes an assigned operating control which overlooks the rear working deck. ~~RFA~~ ''Proteus'' is designed with [[Antiroll tanks]], including pumps capable of moving ballast water between them, which counters any horizontal motion.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/>

The ship's accommodation comprises fifty-three ~~cabins~~[[Cabin (ship)|cabin]]s with eighty-two [[Bunk bed|bunks]], these are split across twenty-four single cabins and twenty-nine double cabins.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/> A Royal Fleet Auxiliary crew of twenty-six will operate ''Proteus''. This will be supplemented with approximately sixty Royal Navy specialists, who will be responsible for the undersea surveillance, survey and warfare systems operations.<ref name="RN surveillance ship"/> The ship is equipped with a single [[cafeteria]] but there are several [[mess]] and lounge spaces for crew relaxation.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/>

The ship has a 7.~~2m2~~2m<sup>2</sup> opening [[moon pool]] enabling [[underwater vehicle]]s to enter into or leave the water easily within a protected environment. This facility is located at the forward end of the working deck and the hatch cover is removed by [[Crane (machine)|crane]]. The [[Active heave compensation|AHC]] crane has a {{convert|3,~~000m~~000|m}} long wire which enables objects to be directly lowered to the seabed. It has a safe working load of up to {{convert|120 |tonnes}} and the working / cargo deck can carry loads totalling up to {{convert|1,400 |tonnes}}.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/> The size of the working / cargo deck is 1,~~000m2~~000m<sup>2</sup> and ''Proteus'' is also equipped with a flight deck.<ref name="RN surveillance ship"/>

There is hangar space for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV)s, which runs across the ship for easy access between the port and starboard systems and the [[Launch and recovery system (diving)|Launch and recovery system (LARS)]] can lower the underwater vehicles over either side. ''Proteus'' has an umbilical tether winch system, which carries the control, power and communications cables for equipment lowered, this comes from drums below decks and then up to the hangar, before connecting to the ROV through the LARS. Adjacent to the hangar are ROV workshops.<ref name="Navy Lookout Proteus Guide"/>

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== Career and Operations ==

As of December 2023, it was reported that ''Proteus'' was not yet available for operations having yet to complete Operational Sea Training and being still required to return to Cammell Laird shipyard in the new year for dry docking and inspections.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.navylookout.com/analysis-royal-navy-deploys-seven-ships-on-underwater-infrastructure-patrols/ |title=Analysis: Royal Navy deploys seven ships on underwater infrastructure patrols |website=navylookout.com |date=3 December 2023 |accessdate=3 December 2023}}</ref> Pursuant to the completion of work, ''Proteus'' reportedly sailed from Cammell Laird in March 2024 to resume her work-up.<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1767555315766022555 |title=@NavyLookout .@RFAProteus sailed from @CammellLaird shipyard in Birkenhead today on completion of certification period. |number=1767555315766022555 |user=NavyLookout |date=12 March 2024 |access-date=13 March 2024}}</ref> ItThe ship visited London during the second weekend of May 2024. She ~~is currently~~was in Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth as of June 2024, and, as of October 2024, was preparing to be dry docked at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead.<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://x.com/NavyLookout/status/1841079598353637489?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet |title=@NavyLookout. @RFAProteus moved from the wet basin @CammellLaird into Alfred Dock, Birkenhead today. (CL need to repair the lock gate). |number=1841079598353637489 |user=NavyLookout |date=1 October 2024 |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of miscellaneous ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]

* [[Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship]]

==References==