The first of two ships intended for this task arrived in Birkenhead near Liverpool on Thursday, 19 January 2023. "Topaz Tangaroa" is to be repainted and refitted for military use at the Cammell Laird shipyard. In six months, she will then be commissioned in grey paint for the Royal Navy at the Fleet Auxiliary.
Priority: Protection of maritime infrastructure
Following the sabotage of the two Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the programme one of his priorities. Instead of a new national flagship (to replace the Royal Yacht "Britannia"), he accelerated the programme of naval units to protect critical maritime infrastructure. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had already announced the procurement of two units known as the Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS) in early October 2022.
The name for the first unit was already circulating at the time: "Seabed Warfare". This could also be a misunderstanding of the reporting. Operations to protect infrastructure on the seabed are referred to as seabed warfare, although the term is also increasingly being used for anti-submarine warfare.
Topaz Tangaroa. Photo: Vard Group
Fast realisation
The ship is due to join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's fleet in the next few days, several months earlier than planned. Under its new name, the current "Topaz Tangaroa" will set sail for its first 'live' deployment in the summer of 2023. By then, the military equipment will have been scaffolded and the 24-strong crew trained. Up to 60 people can be embarked for the surveillance campaigns.
According to media reports, the acquisition of the second ship is currently in the concept phase. It may end up being a smaller ship that will primarily be used for mine defence support. Earlier British reports spoke of a new design, as a hybrid between the ice patrol vessel "HMS Protector" and the polar research vessel RSS "Sir David Attenborough". As it would not have to be developed from scratch, this multi-purpose approach would benefit a timely procurement.
Topaz Tangaroa and Topaz Tamat. Photo: Topaz Energy and Marine
Off the peg
The "Topaz Tongaroa" belongs to the Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) category and was developed and built in duplicate by the Norwegian group Vard, Alesund. This type is optimised for underwater work of all kinds - including installation, inspection and maintenance, surveying and ROV operations as well as excavations. These vessels have a crane, a helicopter landing deck, approx. 1,000 square metres of floor space and a 'moon pool' underwater access for diving robots. A striking feature is the hull shape with the Ulstein X-bow (also known as the crossbow), which is designed to ensure particularly good sea behaviour and stability.
Built by Vard Tucea in Romania, the "Topaz Tangaroa" was fitted out by Vard in Norway. The previous owner was Topaz Energy and Marine based in Dubai. Prior to her arrival near Liverpool, she was deployed in the Pacific - before that, she was commissioned by a Belgian company to set up an offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
Further data: Displacement: 6,133 tonnes, length: 98.1 metres, width 20 metres, five engines with a total of 8,000 KW, maximum speed: 14 knots.
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