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MORE THAN ONE OF EUROPE'S MOST MODERN SHIPYARDS
When a naval shipbuilder gives up its established shipyard in Woolston/Southampton and invests in transforming facilities at the Royal Navy's largest Surface Fleet Naval Base Portsmouth to what is claimed to be "one of Europe's most modem Shipyards", this is certainly reason to take a closer look. In continuation of Shipyard portrays1, NAVAL FORCES Editor-in-Chief visited PSF on February 23rd, 2004 to check out what is behind this claim. The briefing provided by Rear Admiral Sam Salt, Director UK MOD Ship Sales of VT Shipbuilding (one of two shipbuilding directors), and the tour around the facilities given by Phil Rood, Head of Public Relations VT Group pic with its HQ still in Southampton revealed some not quite so expected facets, beyond the above claim.
WHAT IS BEHIND PSF
Although the folder received was all about VT Shipbuilding, the company slogan is: "There is more to VT Group than Shipbuilding - A World of Capabilities". VT Group employs over 10,000 people and provides services and products to Governments and Government Agencies worldwide. With an annual turnover of. £ 60Om (euro 976m), VT Group operates in two major divisions:
Support Services: with Defence for through life support and training for all three services, VT Griffin for base operations and facilities management activities for the US (NB!) DoD, VT Merlin for Communications, VT Education providing improvement services to schools and Central Government, VT Plus Training as provider of vocational training, VT Careers Management for the full range of career guidance and related service provided to young people, and
VT Shipbuilding: with Warships for the design, construction, and systems integration of minehunters, patrol craft, fast attack craft, offshore patrol vessels, corvettes, frigates right up to section building for the T45 destroyer, VT Halmatic for small craft like RIBs, pilot boats, life boats, SAR vessels, fast intercept craft, GRP pleasure boats, Marine Products for controls equipment and specialist sensors for the marine, offshore and aero industries.
VOSPER THORNYCROFT PEDIGREE
The global Vosper and Thornycroft pedigree commits VT Shipbuilding International to providing the full range of warships, OPVs and EEZ...