Afloat Solid Support Review

Competence and procedure reviews for ammunition, explosives and dangerous cargo work at sea: Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) supply ships, Royal Navy units and the organisations that support them. The work draws on direct experience of running a solid support ship's supply and transport department on operations.

What the review supports

• Naval ammunition handling, stowage and accounting.
• RFA supply ship operations, including replenishment at sea load building.
• Dangerous cargo management at sea.
• Naval weapons system interfaces.
• Deck operations and safety.
• Readiness for sea training by FOST (Flag Officer Sea Training).

Why this background

From 2013 to 2017 Steve Sawyers served as Supply and Transport Officer (Naval) aboard RFA Fort Victoria and RFA Fort Austin: a uniformed operational appointment held at the rank of Commander, Royal Navy, conferred under appointment for the deployment rather than as a commissioned career rank, with service law applying for its duration. The post carried responsibility for supply, transport, ammunition, dangerous cargo and naval stores afloat, including ammunition receipt, stowage, accounting and issue at sea, and hazardous cargo management under BR, SOLAS, ADR and RID and the IMDG Code, in support of OP KIPION and Combined Task Forces 151, 152 and 153.

What it costs

Who delivers it

Steve Sawyers MIExpE VR has more than 25 years in Weapons, Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives: Army Ammunition Technician and Joint Force EOD in Iraq, munitions management at Defence Munitions Longtown, Explosives Safety Assurance Manager at HM Naval Base Clyde, Supply and Transport Officer (Naval) aboard RFA Fort Victoria and RFA Fort Austin, and nearly eight years at the NATO Support and Procurement Agency in Luxembourg, latterly as Senior Ammunition Technician. He is a Member of the Institute of Explosives Engineers. SGS does not subcontract core advisory work. The full career record is published.