A charity has unveiled plans for a £150 million disaster relief ship carrying drones and the latest technology.
The civilian training and aid vessel for the Merchant Navy is proposed to be permanently on standby in the Caribbean for dispatch to regions hit by hurricanes and earthquakes.
Britannia Maritime Aid (BMA) has launched a fundraising drive for the vessel, which it says will help ease pressure on the Royal Navy’s disaster relief work. The merchant vessel is projected to be capable of carrying up to 6,000 tonnes of vehicles and supplies such as field hospitals, kitchens, tents, fresh water and fuel, which is said to be more than 10 times the capacity of many current ships.
Proposed equipment includes landing craft, helicopters, drones, all-terrain vehicles, on-board medical facilities and a computer simulator bridge for teaching. It is planned to provide training for Merchant Navy officer cadets from Britain and the Commonwealth, helping them learn to re-build shattered communities.
BMA will launch the project at the Southwark headquarters of the UK Chamber of Shipping next month. The charity is crowdfunding for the blueprint phase and hopes to secure government money from the international development fund.
BMA chairman and Merchant Navy captain Kevin Slade said: “BMA has launched a crowdfunding campaign for initial costs to finance a detailed business plan required for the next stage — obtaining the necessary funding to progress from concept to reality.”
