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MOD – Aircraft Carrier High Integrity Cranes

Working in partnership with Houlder Ltd, SCX supplied the high-integrity lifting equipment as part of a capability enhancement project for two of the Royal Navy’s Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships, HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion.

The Challenge

The project required the replacement of two ship sets of gantry cranes and the supply of a bespoke anti-collision system, all for use in the handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition to and from landing craft within the vessels’ well docks; an area at the stern of the ship which lowers into the water to allow the landing craft to enter.

Budget restrictions called for a cost-effective solution, capable of overcoming the tilt of the well-dock and withstanding potentially turbulent ocean conditions, and which would meet all the necessary safety standards for the handling of munitions.

The Solution

The two 4.5-tonne cranes are constructed from a number of extensively refurbished gantry cranes from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in order to keep costs down, whilst still meeting the stringent requirements of the MoD Tri-Services JSP 467 standard for the safe handling of weapons, ammunition and explosives, and are believed to have been the first of their type to do so.

A special protective coating protects against the harsh marine environment and prolongs service life. Parts that can’t be painted, such as the wheels, are stainless steel.

Technical Details

Explore more specialist handling solutions from SCX