Norco elected key composites supplier for Royal Navy patrol vessels

After the successful delivery of two composites-intensive, 19-meter vessels due to replace HMS Pursuer and HMS Dasher, the U.K. Royal Navy’s Archer-class Gibraltar Squadron Fast Patrol Craft, Norco Composites & GRP (Dorset, Poole, U.K.) has been elected again by Marine Specialised Technology (MST, Liverpool, U.K.) as the key composites supplier to produce 18 vessels over the course of four years. MST is backed by a £36 million U.K. MOD contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The first 15-meter MOD Police Patrol Vessel left Norco’s facilities in Poole Q1 2022. The company designed and manufactured the tools for the project, using years of experience in the marine leisure and defense market producing quality, large composite components. Similarly, the hull, wheelhouse and internal structure were sourced from Norco, ready for fit out and testing with the MST Group.

“MST’s recent delivery and commissioning of HMS Cutlass into the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron was the culmination of a huge team effort, in which Norco Composites was a key member, delivering high-quality composite structures and components for HMS Cutlass and her sister craft, HMS Dagger,” Andy Phillips, group technical director at MST Group, notes.

MST chose to partner with Norco in the very early stages of the project, recognizing that both the company’s technical capabilities and manufacturing facilities would be instrumental for successful project delivery. Such was the success of the two Royal Navy 19-meter builds, MST has now contracted with Norco to build the hull and superstructure for the eighteen HPB-1500 boat contract MOD Police Patrol Craft.

“Having been involved from an early stage, we were able to work closely with the MST project team and Naval Architects to optimize tool design, and the design for manufacture, thus ensuring weight targets were repeatably achieved at an early stage,” Ned Popham, Norco project engineer, adds. “Norco is continuing to develop and advance large, direct infused structures to minimize part weight, resin waste and ensure the highest quality” (see Norco’s infusion process here).