Displaying items by tag: Multi Role Vessel (MRV)

21st November 2020

New Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) for Naval Service As Department of Defence Targets €200m

The Royal New Zealand Navy multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury. It is expected the new vessel targeted by the Department of Defence will be similar in style to this. AFLOAT adds the design is also similar in origin to the Irish Sea serving ropax ferry, Ben-My-Chree operating Isle of Man services and English Channel based Commodore Clipper connecting the Channel Islands.

The intention to purchase a new Multi Role Vessel (MRV) for the Naval Service has been confirmed by the Department of Defence.

This could see the vessel be used as a hospital ship and capable of carrying troops and helicopters for amphibious in addition airborne landings.

A spokeswoman for the department said planning is "underway on this project".

It is envisaged that the MRV (as Afloat reported in 2018) will replace the ageing LÉ Eithne as the Naval Service flagship, and could cost up to €200m.

The new ship is likely to be designed to allow it the capability to carry out numerous different types of missions, not just sea fishery patrols.

Military sources have indicated that it could be used to provide humanitarian aid in times of emergency in Ireland and in other countries where conflicts or climate disaster threaten civilian populations.

It could also be used by gardaí, customs, or the coastguard, where required.

The MRV project is being managed by a civil-military project team and work is ongoing on preparing detailed specification requirements for the ship.

For further reading the Irish Examiner reports.

Published in Navy

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Manx Seasonal Visitor to Dublin Port

Dublin Port-Douglas sailings in the winter months are operated by Ben-My-Chree, a conventional ferry that only calls to the Irish capital on a handful of sailings during this period, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPCo) ferry docked just after midnight at the multi-user ferryport (terminal 1) and departed at around 02.30hrs. She returns to Dublin on the 22 October,17 December and the final sailing for this year is 26 December.

Following this mornings Irish route sailing, she resumed on her regular Douglas-Heysham route and she also serves Douglas-Birkenhead (Liverpool) during the winter months.

During the summer Dublin-Douglas sailings are served by fast-ferry catamaran Manannan (1998/5,743grt). The 96m InCAT built in Hobart,Tasmania had also operated Douglas-Belfast high-season crossings. Her roster is now confined to a Douglas-Liverpool sailing schedule.

Ben-My-Chree (photo) is Manx for 'Girl of my heart' and her island owners commissioned the 12,504grt ro-pax from Dutch shipbuilders Van de Giessen-de Noord. The 125m ferry was launched in 1998 and she can accommodate 630 passengers,275 vehicles and 1,235 freight lane-metres.

This particular ro-pax design has also been built for Channel Islands operator Commodore Ferries with their Commodore Clipper and a Scandinavian ferry operator. In addition another Dutch shipbuilder, Merwede built a multi-support vessel (MRV) derived from the design of Ben-My-Chree for the Royal New Zealand Navy when they commissioned HMNZS Canterbury (L421). Click for similar port-side photo view to compare differences.

Incidentally the Manannan prior to entering service last year for the IOMSPCo. was for five years chartered initially to the United States Navy but transferred to the United States Army Forces. To read more click HERE.

Published in Ferry

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Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium.