RFA Proteus

RFA *Proteus*
	Proteus in dry-dock at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead with its previous name Topaz Tangaroa
History
Marshall Islands
Name	Topaz Tangaroa
Owner	P&O Maritime Logistics
Port of registry	Majuro
Builder	Vard Brattvaag, Norway and Tulcea shipyard in Romania.
Cost	$62 million [1]
Yard number	841
Launched	18 March 2017 [2]
Fate	Sold to Ministry of Defence, 14 February 2023
United Kingdom
Name	Proteus
Namesake	Proteus, a sea-god in Greek mythology
Acquired	14 February 2023
Homeport	Falmouth
Identification	Pennant number : K60 [3]; Call Sign : V7A2168 [4]; IMO number: 9792539 [2]; MMSI number: 538008267;
Status	Undergoing conversion
General characteristics
Class and type	VARD 3 08 [5]
Type	Multi-role ocean surveillance ship
Tonnage	6,133 GT [6]; 1,840 NT; 3,277 DWT;
Displacement	6,000 tonnes [3]
Length	98.1 m (321 ft 10 in)[2]
Beam	20.048 m (65 ft 9.3 in)[2]
Draught	6.0 m (19 ft 8 in)[2]
Propulsion	2 × Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines (2 × 2,250 kW, 3,020 hp); 1 × Caterpillar 3512C diesel engine (1 × 1,700 kW, 2,300 hp); 2 × Caterpillar C32 diesel engines (2 × 1,820 kW, 2,440 hp); 2 × Kongsberg azimuth thrusters (2 × 1,650kW); 1 × bow thruster (1 × 1,500 kW, 2,000 hp)[2];
Speed	Max 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)[6]
Complement	82 as civil supply vessel;[6] 24 RFA and 60 RN personnel in RFA service[7]
Aviation facilities	Helipad

RFA Proteus is a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary operated by the Ministry of Defence. Acquired in 2023, the ship entered drydock at Cammell Laird for modification into a multi-role ocean surveillance (MROS) vessel. The ship was formerly named MV Topaz Tangaroa, and used as a platform supply vessel operated by P&O Maritime Logistics.[3] The vessel was sold to the Ministry of Defence in January 2023 for £70 million.[8]

Proteus is one of two new commercial vessels acquired for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2023, the other being RFA Stirling Castle; a mine hunting support ship to act as a mothership for autonomous minehunters.[9]

History

MV Topaz Tangaroa

The ship operated as the offshore support vessel MV Topaz Tangaroa for Topaz Marine (later, P&O Maritime Logistics) from December 2019 until January 2023. Designed and built by Vard Brattvaag, Norway and with the hull construction completed in Tulcea shipyard, Romania[5] the primary capabilities of the Topaz Tangaroa were to support subsea construction and installation projects, subsea inspection and survey, and as a mother ship to support remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations. The ship was flagged in the Marshall Islands with its home port as Majuro.

Projects for which the Topaz Tangaroa was deployed includes supporting the construction of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farm near Taiwan.[10]

RFA Proteus

Owing to the UK's government's growing concern about protecting subsea infrastructure, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Topaz Tangaroa was purchased by the UK's Ministry of Defence in February 2023 to be converted into a multi-role ocean surveillance (MROS) ship operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ship was assigned the pennant number K60. Initial conversion for naval service is being conducted at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, UK.

The MROS was initially announced by the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during the 2022 Conservative Party conference. Then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson had first discussed the possibility of such a vessel in November 2020.[11]

Proteus at Cammell Laird

References

"P&O Maritime takes big profit by selling subsea ship to UK government". Tradewinds. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
"TOPAZ TANGAROA". DNV Vessel Register. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
"First images of new Multi Role Ocean Support ship (MROS) renamed RFA Proteus". Navy Lookout. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
"TOPAZ TANGAROA (9792539)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
"Topaz Tangaroa". Vard Group AS. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
"Topaz Tangaroa - IMO 9792539". Scheepvaartwest. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
"RFA looks to Greek god Proteus to protect UK's underwater assets". Royal Navy. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
https://www.navylookout.com/first-images-of-new-multi-role-ocean-support-ship-mros-renamed-rfa-proteus/
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/march/31/230330-new-ship-named-stirling-castle
"Van Oord Sends Cable Installation Fleet to Taiwan". offshoreWIND.biz. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
"Protecting seabed infrastructure – UK Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship to be in service by 2023". Navy Lookout. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2023.

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[TradewindsSale-1] "P&O Maritime takes big profit by selling subsea ship to UK government". Tradewinds. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.

[ProteusParticulars-2] "TOPAZ TANGAROA". DNV Vessel Register. Retrieved 4 April 2023.

[navylookoutfirstimages-3] "First images of new Multi Role Ocean Support ship (MROS) renamed RFA Proteus". Navy Lookout. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.

[4] "TOPAZ TANGAROA (9792539)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 4 April 2023.

[VardSpec-5] "Topaz Tangaroa". Vard Group AS. Retrieved 5 April 2023.

[Scheepvaartwest-6] "Topaz Tangaroa - IMO 9792539". Scheepvaartwest. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2023.

[7] "RFA looks to Greek god Proteus to protect UK's underwater assets". Royal Navy. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.

[8] ttps://www.navylookout.com/first-images-of-new-multi-role-ocean-support-ship-mros-renamed-rfa-proteus/

[9] ttps://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/march/31/230330-new-ship-named-stirling-castle

[Changhua-10] "Van Oord Sends Cable Installation Fleet to Taiwan". offshoreWIND.biz. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2023.

[navylookoutMROS-11] "Protecting seabed infrastructure – UK Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship to be in service by 2023". Navy Lookout. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2023.