Three essential logistic support ships are purchased for £1.6 billion by the UK Ministry of Defence.

A £1.6 ?illi?n c?nt??ct h?s ???n ?w????? t? T??m R?s?l?t? t? m?n???ct??? th? v?ss?ls ???vi?in? m?niti?ns, st???s ?n? ???visi?ns t? R???l N?v? shi?s. S?t t? inv?st ????n? £100 milli?n int? UK shi?????s, incl??in? £77 milli?n ?? in???st??ct??? ?t H??l?n? & W?l??’s B?l??st ?n? A??l????? shi?????s, ?n? ? ???th?? £21 milli?n in skills ?n? t?chn?l??? t??ns??? ???m N?v?nti? UK, H??l?n? & W?l?? will c???t? ?n? ?? th? m?st ??v?nc?? shi?????s in th? UK – si?ni?ic?nt ??? ??t??? ?x???t ?n? ??m?stic shi???il?in?. C???tin? 1,200 UK shi????? j??s, h?n????s ?? ??????t? ?n? ?????ntic? ?????t?niti?s, ?n? ?n ?x??ct?? 800 ???th?? j??s ?c??ss th? UK s???l? ch?in, T??m R?s?l?t?, c?m??isin? BMT, H??l?n? & W?l?? ?n? N?v?nti? UK, will ??liv?? th??? Fl??t S?li? S?????t shi?s ??? th? R???l Fl??t A?xili??? (RFA).

With ????n? 900 j??s ?l?n? t? ?? c???t?? ?t H??l?n? & W?l??’s B?l??st sit?, th? c?nt??ct – ?w????? ?? D???nc? E??i?m?nt & S?????t – is ? w?lc?m? ???st ??? N??th??n I??l?n?, ??in?in? n?v?l shi???il?in? ??ck t? B?l??st. Th? P?im? Minist?? visit?? H??l?n? & W?l?? l?st m?nth, ??ll?win? th? ?nn??nc?m?nt th?t T??m R?s?l?t? h?? w?n th? c?m??titi?n ??? th? ??t??? s?????t shi?s in N?v?m???. Ex??n?in? ?n? ?nh?ncin? H??l?n? & W?l??’s shi???il?in? ??ciliti?s, th? FSS ?l??t will ?? th? ?i?st shi?s ??ilt ?? H??l?n? & W?l?? in B?l??st sinc? MV Anvil P?int w?s l??nch?? in 2002. St??n?th?nin? shi???il?in? in En?l?n? ?n? N??th??n I??l?n?, this c?nt??ct will c?m?l?m?nt ?xistin? T??? 26 ?n? T??? 31 ??i??t? c?nst??cti?n c?nt??cts in Sc?tl?n?, ??lst??in? th? UK’s shi???il?in? c????iliti?s.

Th? m?j??it? ?? th? ?l?cks ?n? m???l?s ??? th? shi?s will ?? c?nst??ct?? ?t H??l?n? & W?l??’s ??ciliti?s in B?l??st ?n? A??l?????, ??ll?win? th? ?nti??l? B?itish c???t?? ??si?n ?? th? B?th-??s?? c?m??n? BMT. B?il? w??k will ?ls? t?k? ?l?c? ?t N?v?nti?’s shi????? in C??iz in S??in, with th? ?in?l ?ss?m?l? ??? ?ll th??? 216-m?t??-l?n? v?ss?ls – ??ch th? l?n?th ?? tw? P??mi?? L????? ???t??ll ?itch?s – t? ?? c?m?l?t?? ?t H??l?n? & W?l??’s B?l??st ????. Aimin? t? ??liv?? 200 ???th?? ???c?ti?n ?????t?niti?s ?n ??????t? ?l?c?m?nts ?n? ?????ntic? ??????mm?s, th? c?nt??ct will ??il? ?n th? P?im? Minist??’s c?mmitm?nt t? ???w th? ?c?n?m? ?? s?????tin? th??s?n?s m??? s???l? ch?in j??s ?c??ss th? UK. H??l?n? & W?l??’s w?l?in? ?c???m? is s?t t? t??in 300 n?w UK w?l???s ???in? th? c?nt??ct, with 120 hi?hl?-skill?? j??s s?????t?? ?t BMT.

D?liv??in? ?n ?m?iti?ns t? ??lst?? UK shi???il?in? ?s l?i? ??t in th? N?ti?n?l Shi???il?in? St??t??? R????sh, th? c?nt??ct ?ims t? ??liv?? si?ni?ic?nt c??it?l inv?stm?nt in th? UK whil? ???vi?in? shi?s which ??? ?ss?nti?l t? th? C???i??-l?? M??itim? St?ik? G????. Th? shi?s will ?? th? s?c?n? l?n??st UK milit??? v?ss?ls ??hin? th? tw? Q???n Eliz???th-cl?ss ?i?c???t c???i??s. Th?? will h?v? c?mm?n?lit? with th? RFA’s Ti?? cl?ss ?l??t t?nk??s, ?ls? ??ilt t? ? B?itish BMT ??si?n. Th? m?j??it? ?? th? th??? shi?s’ ??il? will t?k? ?l?c? in th? UK, ?n? th? c?nt??ct will inc???s? in??st?i?l ?????ctivit?, ?n? ??v?l?? th? ??m?stic s???l? ch?in ?n? w??k???c? whil? im???vin? th? in??st??’s ?nvi??nm?nt?l s?st?in??ilit?. P????cti?n is ??? t? st??t in 2025, with ??c??it?lis?ti?n ?n? ???? im???v?m?nts st??tin? imm??i?t?l?. All th??? s?????t shi?s ??? ?x??ct?? t? ?? ?????ti?n?l ?? 2032.