Gun requirement pulled from Fleet Solid Support contract

The Ministry of Defence removed the automatic small-calibre gun requirement from the contract for Britain’s three Fleet Solid Support ships. The change produced a £1.704 million constructive loss because the original specification no longer matched the Royal Navy’s emerging gun-rationalization plan. Designing the ships to accept a range of future weapon systems should avoid the larger cost of installing and later replacing an incompatible gun. The vessels will still be built by Navantia UK to carry ammunition, stores and provisions for carrier groups and the wider fleet.