Norco to Build Composite Workboats for UK Navy
Norco Holdings, the Poole-based manufacturer of lightweight composite structures and GRP moldings, has been selected by Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) to build the fleet of replacement workboats ordered recently by the UK MoD and due to be delivered over the next six years. The contract is for 30+ boats in total, ranging in size from 11 to 15 meters. As the primary composites supplier for the project, Norco will be producing the major components for the new vessels including hull, deck, superstructure and associated multipurpose modules.
Fourth Submarine in UK’s Astute Class Named
The fourth submarine in the Astute class was officially named Audacious during a December 16 ceremony at builder BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Guests watched as Lady Jones, Audacious' sponsor and wife of Admiral Sir Phillip Jones, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, named the 7,400-metric-ton, 97-meter-long attack submarine, and then smashed a bottle of beer against her hull. “We have already delivered three highly-capable Astute class submarines to the Royal Navy and Audacious now takes another significant step towards joining her sister submarines…
Former HMS Illustrious Sold for Scrap
The former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious will be recycled after 32 years of service, announced the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) who sold the ship to Turkish company LEYAL Ship Recycling Ltd for around £2 million. The MOD’s initial plan for the retired aircraft carrier was to retain part or all of the ship in the U.K. for heritage purposes. A competition seeking bids for development plans was launched in 2013, and though a number of proposals were received, none proved to be viable.
