Following the news that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is prioritising two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ships;

James Marques, Associate Aerospace, Defense and Security Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The MROS ships will fill a capability gap that has been missing since the end of the Cold War. While the Navy’s Hydrographic Squadron features multiple underwater surveillance ships, deep-diving operations will now return to the mission set with MROS vessels in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Being able to monitor and protect seabed communications cables and energy pipelines is vital for British security.

“The suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in late September has brought these vulnerabilities in sharp focus, prompting the MoD to speed up delivery of the MROS capability. The conflict in Ukraine continues to incentivise faster build-up and preparedness in UK defense.

“Having been announced in March 2021, the first ship is now scheduled to enter the fleet by January 2023. This is ambitious and remarkable pacing in support of the 30-year National Shipbuilding Strategy, which will stimulate the Scottish economy. The ships are also expected to carry autonomous underwater vessels for reconnaissance and monitoring, expanding UK activity in a sector that is predicted by GlobalData’s ‘Trends in Defense’ report to be worth $750 million by 2030.”