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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects HMS Albion to be fully operational; what refit would be necessary to keep HMS Fearless in operation for one more year; how much it would cost; whether he has considered recommissioning HMS Intrepid; whether he foresees any need for CPD capability in the next 12 months; and what contingency plans he has in place. [46971] Mr. Ingram: On current plans, HMS Albion will be available for operational tasking early in 2003, and she is expected to be fully operational by mid 2003. HMS Fearless would have needed to undergo and assisted maintenance period at an estimated cost of about £1.5 million to allow her to continue in service for a year beyond her decommissioning date. The assisted maintenance period represented the minimum package of work required to keep HMS Fearless in service. Given the age of the vessel, the possibility of additional unplanned repair during this period could not be ruled out. The cost of re-commissioning HMS Intrepid, the sister ship of HMS Fearless, which last put to sea in 1994, would greatly exceed the cost of HMS Fearless's foregone assisted maintenance period. It would not therefore make financial sense to re-commission HMS Intrepid. The requirement for a docking and heavy lift capability needs to be considered in the prevailing operational context at any particular time. Our assessment is that until HMS Albion enters service, the circumstances in which it is most likely that the UK wold be involved in an operation requiring a dedicated amphibious assault capability would be where we were acting as part of a coalition force. In such a scenario, depending on the requirements of the operation, a docking and heavy lift capability could be provided from within the forces of our coalition partners to enhance the UK's specialist amphibious capabilities of HMS Ocean and the five landing ships logistic. HMS Ocean is available for amphibious force tasking until October this year when she is due, on current plans, to commence a docking period before she again becomes available for tasking early in 2003. However until HMS Albion enters service, the amphibious assault capability will, if operational imperatives dictate, be filled in part by other platforms.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

46971; 383 c715-6W;383 c713-4W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Costs Deployment Navy Repairs and maintenance Warships HMS Fearless HMS Albion

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk