Vessels of the Marine Service range in length from 11 m to 93 m and displace from 12 to 3,600 gross tonnes. Serco employs some 600 to 650 mariners and engineers.[3][4]
The shipsKingdom of Fife andCameron are provided byBriggs Marine who won a£100M subcontract from Serco Marine Services for the support and maintenance of the Royal Navy's navigational marks (orbuoys) andmoorings in the United Kingdom and overseas.[1][5]
In 2022, a £200m contract with Serco was signed extending the arrangement for a further 27 months commencing in December 2022. Under the arrangement, the Ministry of Defence has the option to extend that contract for up to six more months.[6] In 2025, a ten-year contract was signed to continue to deliver services to the mid-2030s. Under an additional and parallel contract Serco is to introduce 24 new vessels into service on behalf of the Naval Service replacing its older vessels.[7][8] In 2025, Serco signed a contract withDamen Shipyards Group for the delivery of these 24 vessels as part of a renewal of its fleet. The vessels will include: Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugs, Reversed Stern Drive (RSD) tugs, pilot boats, barges and crane barges. The vessels are to be delivered in 2027 and 2028.[9]
As of 2021, principal marine services in theFalkland Islands were provided by the contracted Netherlands Marine Services companyVan Wijngaarden,[10] while inGibraltar, marine services were provided by the vessels of Boluda Towage Europe which bought the previous Resolve Marine Group in February 2024.[11] Resolve had previously acquired T.P. Towage in 2015 and these vessels provide all harbour towage and other support services in and around thePort of Gibraltar.[12][13]
All Serco non-military vessels fly theRed EnsignMinistry of Defence-owned managed vessels fly theBlue Ensign since 2008[14]
Worldwide support ship
SD Victoria based at Portsmouth[citation needed] (Global support ship; reportedly employed for special forces operations)[15]
Multi-purpose ship
SD Northern River
SD Northern River (Offshore supply ship; reportedly employed for special forces operations and other duties including data gathering and submarine support)[16]
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