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Found this while surfing and thought it may be an option for our Arctic patrol needs:
http://navy-matters.beedall.com/fsc-pre2005.htm
Mother/Daughter Ship Design
A concept under consideration as part of the “package” to meet the FSC requirement is that of the “Mother/Daughter ship”. This involves the use of a large vessel that is capable of carrying one or more smaller craft. This offers the potential to employ small assets, optimised for the littoral environment, at the full extent of reach provided by a world-wide deployment capability.
For the smaller surface assets, likely to operate in numbers, the ability to harness Networked Enabled Capability (NEC - identified as key requirement by the MOD since 2003) offers significant advantages, allowing them to work together and overcome their own limited military capability. The Daughter ships are likely to be re-configurable platforms, able to change role as required: before deploying, en-route or even in theatre. This involves using modularity to provide additional fuel pods, accommodation for embarked special forces, weapon and sensor fits for specific tasks, or whatever the required military capability.
In March 2003 BMT Defence Services Limited was awarded a two month 'quick-look' study contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to explore the fundamental feasibility of 'mother/ daughter' ship concepts as a potential solution for the Royal Navy's projected Future Surface Combatant capability requirement. BMT DSL led a team including University College London and BM Consulting for the Concept Design.
The BMT team was asked to consider the potential for the rapid deployment, from larger vessels optimised for ocean-going passage, of small flexible, stealthy, surface and sub-surface craft, which are optimised for littoral warfare. These Mother-ships may be able to reach the theatre of operations in a shorter time than existing small craft can currently achieve. The BMT team looked at how multiple “Deployable Assets” could be transported from the UK to overseas theatres of operation and compared this to conventional transit times, costs and limitations. The “Deployable Assets” (possibly manned or unmanned platforms) could then be launched and recovered from the Mothership to meet a number of military scenarios set by the customer.
The study developed a mix of outline concept designs for mother-ships and deployable assets. These were "visualised" and their costs and military capabilities quantified. These were then compared to determine which, if any, are worthy of more detailed investigation as potential solutions to meet future capability requirements.
The team assumed that surface vessels and submarines above 1500 tonnes displacement should have a reasonable ocean going capability and would not need to be carried by a Mothership, albeit they may need support in-theatre from conventional auxiliary vessels (stores, fuel, ammunition etc). Craft below about 100 tonnes are likely to be small enough that they don’t need a dedicated Mothership, being carried by existing ships.
A total of eight Mothership and nine Daughtership designs were produced during the two month study period.
The study report concluded that small, fast and stealthy craft are most suited to littoral operations but suffer from limited endurance and are often unable to deploy beyond coastal waters due to their poor sea-keeping qualities. A Mothership of 40,000-50,000 tones and capable of 25 knots could give these vessels a worldwide deployment capability. Possible solutions included; heavy lift ships, dock ships, crane ships and a variety of more novel solutions. Some of these are illustrated below. The study presented the performance, cost and technology readiness scores for the new options against conventional solutions and has gone some way toward defining the direction for more detailed studies by the MoD’s Future Business Group and the DPA.
http://navy-matters.beedall.com/fsc-pre2005.htm
Mother/Daughter Ship Design
A concept under consideration as part of the “package” to meet the FSC requirement is that of the “Mother/Daughter ship”. This involves the use of a large vessel that is capable of carrying one or more smaller craft. This offers the potential to employ small assets, optimised for the littoral environment, at the full extent of reach provided by a world-wide deployment capability.
For the smaller surface assets, likely to operate in numbers, the ability to harness Networked Enabled Capability (NEC - identified as key requirement by the MOD since 2003) offers significant advantages, allowing them to work together and overcome their own limited military capability. The Daughter ships are likely to be re-configurable platforms, able to change role as required: before deploying, en-route or even in theatre. This involves using modularity to provide additional fuel pods, accommodation for embarked special forces, weapon and sensor fits for specific tasks, or whatever the required military capability.
In March 2003 BMT Defence Services Limited was awarded a two month 'quick-look' study contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to explore the fundamental feasibility of 'mother/ daughter' ship concepts as a potential solution for the Royal Navy's projected Future Surface Combatant capability requirement. BMT DSL led a team including University College London and BM Consulting for the Concept Design.
The BMT team was asked to consider the potential for the rapid deployment, from larger vessels optimised for ocean-going passage, of small flexible, stealthy, surface and sub-surface craft, which are optimised for littoral warfare. These Mother-ships may be able to reach the theatre of operations in a shorter time than existing small craft can currently achieve. The BMT team looked at how multiple “Deployable Assets” could be transported from the UK to overseas theatres of operation and compared this to conventional transit times, costs and limitations. The “Deployable Assets” (possibly manned or unmanned platforms) could then be launched and recovered from the Mothership to meet a number of military scenarios set by the customer.
The study developed a mix of outline concept designs for mother-ships and deployable assets. These were "visualised" and their costs and military capabilities quantified. These were then compared to determine which, if any, are worthy of more detailed investigation as potential solutions to meet future capability requirements.
The team assumed that surface vessels and submarines above 1500 tonnes displacement should have a reasonable ocean going capability and would not need to be carried by a Mothership, albeit they may need support in-theatre from conventional auxiliary vessels (stores, fuel, ammunition etc). Craft below about 100 tonnes are likely to be small enough that they don’t need a dedicated Mothership, being carried by existing ships.
A total of eight Mothership and nine Daughtership designs were produced during the two month study period.
The study report concluded that small, fast and stealthy craft are most suited to littoral operations but suffer from limited endurance and are often unable to deploy beyond coastal waters due to their poor sea-keeping qualities. A Mothership of 40,000-50,000 tones and capable of 25 knots could give these vessels a worldwide deployment capability. Possible solutions included; heavy lift ships, dock ships, crane ships and a variety of more novel solutions. Some of these are illustrated below. The study presented the performance, cost and technology readiness scores for the new options against conventional solutions and has gone some way toward defining the direction for more detailed studies by the MoD’s Future Business Group and the DPA.
