Engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash has been appointed by the MoD to develop the user requirements for a proposed new maritime based system to deliver future Mine Countermeasures, Hydrographic, Patrol (MHPC) capability.

Currently, the Royal Navy delivers this capability through a number of separate classes of vessel. The MoD is now in the process of investigating options for delivering this capability once the vessels go out of service.

Working directly for the Surface Combatants Team at the MoD, Frazer-Nash’s support runs to the end of 2010 and involves working closely with defence and industry stakeholders to develop a set of User and System Requirements for the new capability.

Paul Havron, Frazer-Nash’s Surface Combatant Business Manager, commented: “The development of user requirements is one of the main outputs of the project’s Concept Phase and so will help to inform the MOD’s investment decisions. Deriving and justifying the requirements is also critical in determining the eventual path to design and we are extremely pleased to be involved at this early stage.

The MHPC project is intended to meet the needs of a range of users, therefore this early concept work is critical to establishing which user requirements can be aligned and what sort of solution can best meet the requirements. This is a challenge that Frazer-Nash is well placed to handle, as we have experience in successfully delivering high level requirements work for the MoD on a number of other maritime projects, including the Type 26 Frigate and MARS Fleet Tanker.”