Last month I reported that the new ‘Special Purpose Vessel’ would arrive in Portsmouth to be prepared for her role as a trials platform. That has now happened.

Image credit to the excellent RNPics on Twitter. You can click here to follow them.

As I reported previously, the vessel was procured through a £9m contract and will support trials for “autonomy development”.

Presenting the XV Patrick Bleckett 'X01', a new ship delivered to the Royal Navy to support trials of autonomous systems such as drones. The vessel was purchased as part of a £9m contract. Image via @RNPics_. pic.twitter.com/9D2TLSz8Nq

— George Allison (@geoallison) July 27, 2022

The contract specifications describe a steel vessel with a draught of 3.5m, top speed of 20 knots, a range of 2500 nautical miles, a crew of 6 and the ability to tow small boats such as RHIBs. In addition, the vessel is expected to accommodate 2×40 foot ISO containers or 2x 20-foot ISO containers.

While the vessel will also be expected to be autonomous in future, the contract specification makes clear that it will not be for some time “the functional integration of technology provided to enable the autonomous behaviours of the platform are excluded from this current contract but that the contractor should support the physical integration of this equipment in future”.

The statement of requirements is relatively vague but does state that NavyX (that’s the part of the Royal Navy that operates this vessel) require a small ‘Fast Crew Vessel’ style ship to serve as a testbed and trials ship for the Royal Navy.

I’m waiting to here more about what the actuals pecs are and how closely they match the requirements above.

But where has the ship arrived from? Or have I missed something? Interesting concept, but longer term need to be building this in our back yard….

What I thought and such an unusual specification..

Direct from Damen in the Netherlands. They pretty much have them ready built in stock.

Similar to SD EVA that was disposed of a few years ago.

Only Damen tendered. We don’t need to be building these ourselves, it’s a trials platform, not a warship.

This point is one of my ‘totally agree with’ – if something is readily available off the shelf, isn’t something it’s strategically necessary to control the construction of, and cheaper to buy this way – do it. We need to prioritise control on building things of strategic or economic importance.

I disagree and will use the excellent Damen as an example Damen build ships all the time (whether they are sold or not) and keep their yards busy – they always have stock of the simpler platforms The RN/MOD/HMG have a requirement for circa 2.5k smaller vessels (lets say sub 50m). which means we do have enough need to keep a yard busy building 100 vessels per year indefinitely. Add in commercial vessels and there is a market for perhaps another 20-50 vessels pa. This could be used to keep a specialist yard going (Appledore) or to keep key yards…  Read more »

Indeed, and the offshoot would be lower cost to the UK tax payer as more are built…

It’s one of those weird times when I can also agree with you! OK, Why? Firstly, we can’t do everything. There are a lot of markets available – but how many can we afford to compete in? Specialist yard? Would it be a specialist yard producing things we need and that could cause problems if we don’t control the whole lot? Go for it! But – if we have a need for large numbers of readily available off-the-shelf items that are not going to be a choke point – can we produce them as well or as cheaply as others…  Read more »

Yes and this was readily available, off the shelf, and isn’t a strategic asset, hence we don’t need to be building vessels like this.

The excellent Navy Lookout has an in-depth article on the XV Patrick Blackett; https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy-takes-delivery-of-new-experimental-vessel/

Newly built by Damen in the Netherlands as a Offshore Tug/Supply Ship. Gross tonnage 270. Length 40m Beam 8m. Draught 2.3m

The colour scheme reminds me of the Black pig

Those were the days 40 yrs ago Farouk chugging round Stanley

showing your age again young man!!!

Where’s the 5inch gun ? The MK41 VLS ? The double hanger for F35 ? The Photon torpedoes ? The plasma cannon ? FFBNW strikes again. 😐😐

I believe the second hand on the bridge clock is dual purpose …

Now you’re just being silly. 😁

After a number of years not bothering, I just read a comments section on the BBC News website. I will never call anything on this site silly again.

Yeah but it’s even worse. 9 times out of 10 when people are silly on this site it’s deliberate.

May the farce be with you.👽

Luke the farts is strong with this one. 😂 😂

A very good analysis on how the ship was required https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy-takes-delivery-of-new-experimental-vessel/

Cheers James an interesting read. A couple things strike me though, a 3 ringer as the ‘big dipper’ and with such a small crew, who’s going to do the scrubbing out. 🤔

Could this be used to experiment with making a ghost fleet?

Won’t be a commissioned vessel apparently, but under the blue ensign.

just goes to show that we don’t know what the military get up to, and the experiments that are on going, good job,

wonder what next will be revealed ??

The RNs requirement for this was reported a while ago.

Indeed lots of things we are not privy to, that is the domain of DSTL, UKSF, BAES SPS, and the UK Int community.

Sorry, the Special Projects Site at BAE Warton. Look on Google Earth and its the cluster of buildings to the south east side of the airfield. Our version of Lockheeds Skunk Works and classified programmes conducted there, way back to the mid 90s and the first UAV prototypes which were said to land at remote places like West Freugh. Open source info btw.

Had to look up Patrick Blackett.

Please enlighten me. Who is this dude

British 20th century physicist and Nobel prize winner. I know he worked on cosmic rays, a quick search says he also researched paleomagnetism (history of the position of magnetic fields) and cloud chambers (used to study ionising radiation). He also served in the RN and developed technologies that helped defeat German boats, as well as analysing RAF tactics and results and finding inefficiencies. Might be a hint to the sort of things that the RN and armed forces as a whole are looking at right now.

That’s interesting. I assumed it was someone from 200+ years ago that won a battle or did something good. I will have a read up about them now.

Got to love the Olympic Class shaped prow.

..and the Ukraine Flag flying in the background

She looks like she would be the perfect small support vessel for our modern way of dealing with mine problem rather that stick them on big warships which will only be a bigger target when stationary. Although noted a Cdr is noted as the Commanding officer, bit of an over kill really when a CPO could deal with it easily.

Don’t you think this reflects the tasks the vessel will.undertake?

I think they need a modern Q boat type design for the rmc and a couple of””tubes””on the side.they shouldn’t take “”shit”” drug runners.a pop up Q gun and autononoumous engagement for drug runners and mother ships would put them in charge of such nefarious activities.

Really should be building this ourselves. With the specifications given, No previous owners ect, yet we purchase abroad. Why not just go all out and ask Putin for any platforms. No disrespect to the Dutch, If that is were it came from. But we really should be open to giving contracts for this size/specific design of craft to home companies. Or when fully operational we just sell to war torn country’s, Instead of keeping our tech secret. 🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

Takes me back 25-30 years ago to the RN trialling the RV Triton. A lot of activity … and after a few years it got sold-off. … And absolutely nothing, nothing at all, was used going-forward (although fair enough if what was learned was undesirable).