Final RFA Bay class receives MES Gyro update – November 2015. RFA Mounts Bay received an updated gyro outfit whilst on deployment

The Gyro update on the final RFA Bay Class* was scheduled to occur in the next refit period but was advanced and accomplished mid-deployment when the existing gyro’s performance started to degrade. MES has previously provided specialist combat system interfaces on all three remaining RFA Bay Class vessels.

*MES had previously updated the gyro outfit on RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Cardigan Bay.

RFA Wave Class – Bridge refresh 2012

This in parallel with the RFA Fleetwide ECDIS upgrade, which included the Wave Class, MES were also contracted to refresh other aspects of the Bridge including Navigation radars and the addition of multi-function displays incorporating a dual redundant conning and instrumentation system*. The scope also included provision of specialist combat system interface units and a machinery space communications upgrade on RFA Wave Ruler. Both upgrades occurred one after the other in 2012.

* This system evolved into the NDACS system currently being delivered to the RN River Class Batch 2 Vessels.

RFA Fort Austin – Bridge Consolidation including Gyro/Gyro Distribution, navigation radar and main broadcast replacement – 2012.

MES were contracted by the RFA Cluster support in Cammell Laird to provide a comprehensive refresh of the bridge equipment and contribute to the revised bridge design. This included replacing the navigation radars and numerous dials/repeaters with multi-function displays incorporating a dual redundant conning and instrumentation system*.  The main broadcast system was also replaced with the same design that had been previously supplied by MES to RFA Fort Rosalie in 2010.  Subsequently, MES were contracted to urgently replace the Flight Deck (FD) Communications facilities prior to a deployment. Similar FD Comms upgrades were also provided to both Rover Class Tankers.

* This system evolved into the NDACS system currently being delivered to the RN River Class Batch 2 Vessels. 

MES completes RFA Fleetwide ECPINS W Sub ECDIS upgrade in 12 months - Nov 2012 - RFA ECPINS W Sub Fleetwide fit.

MES were contracted in Nov 2011 by the RFA Cluster Support organisations in both Cammell Laird and A & P Falmouth to design and integrate replacement ECDIS across 8 vessels from 4 different classes. This dual ECDIS system was housed in MES built racks incorporating class specific interfacing requirements as well as the Type Approved OSi ECPINS hardware. All vessels were completed in 2012 and after Fleet training this allowed the complete RFA Fleet to progress to ‘paperless’ navigation whilst also reducing the ECDIS training budget.

In addition to running the RN WECDIS software (ECPINS W Sub) the system had to be integrated into existing bridge/navigation architecture (often confined bridges on 1970’s vessels) and in some instances this required existing legacy console positions to be converted into multi-function workstations providing ECPINS functionality in addition to the previous capability.