The multi-role ocean surveillance ship RFA Proteus that is part of the Royal Navy’s efforts to protect critical undersea cables, pipelines, and seabed assets was spotted leaving Plymouth Sound this morning.
The Proteus is equipped with a 120-tonne crane as well as a hangar and workshops capable of accommodating remotely operated and other unmanned underwater vehicles. The ship’s crane has a 3,000 m long wire that enables objects to be directly lowered to the seabed.
A gross tonnage of 6,133 and a length of 321ft, and typically carries around 24 RFA crew and around 60 Royal Navy specialists trained in autonomous systems and underwater operations.
