Six new MRSS - multi-role support ships - are to be built to replace the ageing components of the amphibious forces of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Designed in accordance with the latest requirements and knowledge of force projection from sea to land, but also adapted to the needs of humanitarian missions near and far, these platforms are now to be designed and developed in broad cooperation between all stakeholders. As already announced last year, this project is based on close cooperation with the Netherlands in particular, which intends to replace its two Rotterdam-class LPDs at the same time. Corresponding contacts are at an advanced stage.
Landing ship "Albion", Photo: Michael Nitz
Dock landing ship "Mounts Bay", photo: Royal Navy / Crown Copyright
From 2030, the MRSS are to replace the two LPDs "Albion" and "Bulwark", the three LSDs (Landing Ship Dock, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service) "Mounts Bay", "Cardigan Bay" and "Lyme Bay", as well as the support ship "Argus" quite quickly. Three completely different operational tasks come together here: The LPDs act as an essential platform for the amphibious assault of the first wave with troops and subsequently as a command centre, the Bay-class LSDs land the follow-on troops and secure the bridgehead (but are also in demand as a mother ship for mine countermeasures missions) and "Argus" as a training platform for air operations is used for resupply and the initial reception of casualties (hospital ship). Trying to cover all these tasks with one type of ship is going to be quite a challenge! The ELLIDA MRSS concept design by the British company BMT describes what such a ship could look like.
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This is in line with the trend for modern support vessels. They can be equipped with various subsystems such as
- Helicopter
- UAV
- Landing craft
- Combat boats (with or without crew)
- Mine defence drones
- Hospital container.
In this respect, such ships are much more than just simple landing craft. With small combat boats and UAVs, they can fight very effectively, and with the appropriate drones they are able to conduct reconnaissance or defend against mines.
The capacity for floating systems depends on whether the ships have a well deck (dock). There is one design with and one without such a dock. The alternative is a stern ramp, but this is only suitable for smaller and specifically designed boats. In this respect, this alternative is significantly less efficient.