Royal Navy Type 23 Frigates Undergo Successful Inclining Experiments at A&P Falmouth.

The New Year has brought another Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate to A&P Falmouth, part of the APCL Group.

Following the successful inclining experiment conducted for HMS St Albans in December, HMS Iron Duke has now successfully completed the same experiment at the facility. This support activity has been delivered under an existing framework agreement with BAE Systems, in conjunction with DE&S.

Inclining experiments are a critical part of the ship’s certification cycle that accurately measure a ship's weight and centre of gravity under known conditions.

The specialist A&P team, led by Marine Operations Manager Tim Sykes, has fine-tuned the A&P process to take just six days from the vessel's arrival to its departure. This approach minimises downtime for the vessels and therefore increases vessel availability.

APCL Director of Defence, Matt Weetch, said: “It is great to see Royal Navy Type 23 frigates at our Falmouth facility over the last few months.”

“Both vessels have benefitted from APCL’s commercial marine expertise and engineering flexibility.”

“The quick turnaround of the two ship showcases APCL Group’s ability to deliver high-quality, timely results. Successfully completing incline experiments for HMS St Albans and HMS Iron Duke within a short timeframe further enhances APCL’s commitment and capacity to support the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

"All at A&P Falmouth and the wider APCL Group wish HMS Iron Duke and HMS St Albans well as they sail for their next taskings.”