The Mexeflote is a modular pontoon in service with the British and Australian armed forces and is primarily used to transfer vehicles, stores, and equipment from ship to shore.
In service since the sixties, its basic design has endured, but at some point, it will need replacing.
Read about MEXEFLOTE history and capabilities at the Think Defence Knowledge Base
Replacing the Mexeflote
The first two questions are: Do they need replacing and do we want to replace them?
Because they are relatively simple in construction, they can be maintained for the long term, replacing or adding individual components as needed.
Of more significance is the question of want.
There is no doubt the Mexeflote is joined at the hip to whatever wider aspirations the UK has towards amphibious and littoral capabilities and the subsequent big questions about the future of 3 Command Brigade and Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary amphibious shipping.
Without knowing the answers to these broader questions, it is not possible to articulate clear requirements, but there are a handful of options worth considering if the Mexeflote capability is to be retained in some form.
Refurbish
The easiest option is to just keep the fleet going, refurbishing as needed under the wider maintenance contract with Barrus.
Landau Marine has recently done just that
We might reflect on the lack of equipment care that seems common across the wider MoD, but in this case, Landau has shown what is possible.
A completely new epoxy paint system was introduced, as were new non-slip decking with many samples sent to the end user to make sure we hit the right combination of grip and durability. New hatches and stainless bolts were made and fitted and the whole area was blasted back to metal and then resprayed to help prolong life. Areas which had become completely rusted over were made good with new deck plates being welded in place. Even the detail of marking the bolts so the end user had instant visibility of tampering. And finally, the inside of the Mexeflotes were completely cleaned out, blasted back to metal and new paint applied
Additional Features
Beyond basic refurbishment, the capability, and usability of the Mexeflote could be expanded and enhanced.
Candidates for this could include improving the side loading arrangements on whatever comes after the Bay Class to increase sea state operability and improve safety.
Wireless remote control for the propulsion units might reduce the crew demand and improve safety, the same as improved portable navigation equipment intercoms and habitability enhancements for the crew.
A more significant development might be to go back to its Heavy Ferry roots and change the propulsion system to thrusters at each corner, with the machinery held within a pontoon module, perhaps even from the same Tees White Gill company.
Computer-controlled dynamic positioning would be possible, and operability at shallow depths improved also, although the high-speed operation is not a significant requirement, more power is always useful
If these thrusters and their power unit could be built inside the dimensions of a standard centre-section pontoon, roll-on-roll-off operations would be significantly easier without offsetting the existing propulsion units.
A less hi-tech addition could be spud wells to enable a Mexeflote work platform to be secured to the sea bed. I think Jenkins Marine used to make these for the Mexeflote, but difficult to find any details online.
A spud is a simple steel pipe, generally with one end fitted with a penetrating cone or spike.
They are contained by a spud well, a simple collar that fixes it to the pontoon.
The spud is lowered into the harbour, river, or seabed and under its weight, penetrates and thus secures the pontoon such that it can resist lateral forces, usually from construction or dredging equipment.
Because they are not driven in, removal is usually straightforward with simple hydraulic equipment, some spud wells are also equipped with winches to facilitate removal.
Fitting Mexeflotes with a spud system would enhance their functionality in secondary roles.
ISO twist-locks and an adapter for the EPLS hook lift system would also ease intermodal transportation problems.
Navamar Sea to Shore Connectors
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) investigated Mexeflotes for use with their Joint Support Ships (JSS).
Navamar was awarded a CAN $11.8m contract to design and build four systems.
The system is a modular self-propelled pontoon barge, and comes in two configurations: a 3 × 3 and a 3 × 4 version. It has a maximum cargo capacity of 81 tonnes, is capable of carrying sea containers, personnel, or large vehicles. It can be beached with a roll-on roll-off ramp forward, reach speeds of 5 knots, and is extremely manoeuvrable with directional thrusters.
The basic Mexeflote design was adopted with some changes made, especially the bow section. Instead of a bottom-hinged articulated ramp, the SSC has a top-mounted ramp.
The SSC is smaller and with reduced capacities compared to Mexeflote but is a current system, designed with containerisation in mind.
As can be seen in the video, the propulsion equipment and ramps fit inside a standard ISO container.
“We originally wanted help in using the sea-to-shore connector tactically, but we have tapped into the UK’s knowledge and opened a full Pandora’s box in what can be done with them,” says Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Rowan Wilson, Executive Officer and Staff Officer New Capability and Training at Naval Personnel and Training Group (NPTG) Headquarters. “We are currently just scratching the surface of this cool new capability and hopefully it will get more people excited about what the Navy is doing.”
The pontoon modules will be stored on the deck as standard containers.
General Dynamics Pontoon Boot (POBO)
A system worth a look is the General Dynamics European Land Systems ‘Pontoon Boot’, or PoBo.
This was a development project primarily designed for inland waterways supporting disaster relief, operated by the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).
Again, not as high capacity as the Mexeflote, or tested offshore as far as I can understand.
More video here
Large Modular Pontoons
Large modular platforms are available from many manufacturers, including Volker Brooks, Janson Bridging, Damen, Hann Ocean, Robishaw Engineering, Combifloat, Modular Pontoon Systems, Intermarine, Innovo, Baars, Poseidon Barge and Ravenstein.
Damen has a rather smart pontoon configurator for its extensive range.
As can be seen from the image below, the Damen Modular Pontoon has ISO twist locks at each corner
Most of these tend to be larger than the Mexeflote pontoon and are mostly focused on inshore activities such as port construction or bridging.
Scaffloat
Scaffloat and Workfloat is a UK-designed and built system for smaller applications that uses scaffolding components and plastic pontoon cubes.
I wrote about this system in 2022
Summary
The Mexeflote is an incredible system that despite being over 60 years old has endured in its original design and concept of employment.
Australia and Canada have more recently adopted the same or similar system.
The core attractions of Mexeflote are its simplicity, adaptability, and capacity.
With all that said, its future seems intertwined with the UK’s amphibious future.
Probably the most sensible course of action would be to carry on with it, refurbish and keep them well maintained, with perhaps one or two enhancements if budget allows.
There are larger systems, and there are smaller systems, but I think those chaps at MEXE got it fundamentally right.
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Youtubers, if you are going to lift content from here, the decent thing to do would credit me
TD, a very interesting read. Thank you.
Another excellent piece, as a former RM I thought I knew about Mexeflotes – apparently not! Surely these would be the answer to the Gaza port issue and I'm sure Marchwood would jump at the chance.
Hopefully, mexeflote is interoperable with other commercial systems so in an emergency they could be mix'n'matched.
An excellent read and thought provoking article. As an ex Army Marine Engineer, who not only operated and maintained these systems but also saw the development, over time, of the systems used on board and the various propulsion units, between 1976 to 1999 it would be devastating to see MEXE done away with like so many of our other capabilities that have been lost never to return. The ship to shore amphibious capabilities of the UK Armed Forces will be a lot poorer without MEXE and those skilled Army Mariners that operate it.
As an ex operator of Mexe for 14 years I can honestly say and I’m sure my hundreds of brethren from the regiment Will all say It’s beauty is it Simple and rugged construction. It functions in Any theatre and even in some when other systems fail, it needs basic maintenance and a good crew. On an exercise in the mid 90s In Chesapeake Bay, United States, our Mexe crew Delivered our cargo to the beach when American assets could not operate because of storm weather. It moves massive amounts of equipment and with its side loading capability doesn’t take up deck space apart from its ancillary equipment If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Coastworks who are based in Scotland own 42 Mexeflote sections. They named them CW-5 inline with their other barges/pontoons. See: http://www.coastworks.co.uk
Thanks Brian, would you mind if I nicked a few of those images for the next revision, especially the ones with spudlegs?. Will credit of course
Hello, thank you for your email. I'd be happy to send you better photos and many more if you want. Feel free to email me direct and I will send you some photos back. Our Facebook and Instagram pages have much better photos than the website.
Some great images on your Facebook Brian, I will use a couple of those if its OK
The Canadian system is a powered barge built under the Ship-to-Shore Connector project (https://rusi-ns.ca/ship-to-shore-connector/).
I have seen the transition from Uniflote to Mexeflote and operated almost worldwide. The original Mexe cells were jig built and made of high tensile steel. Subsequent replacement cells and ancillaries have been of a lesser standard and fail first. The genius of Mexe is its simplicity and the ability to construct it afloat. People have tried integral engines, fuel tanks Etc. but this detracts from cells floating with the same buoyant characteristics i.e., at different levels. to that end, most suggested modifications have been discounted as unfeasible. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it! Mexeflote can provide an almost guaranteed landing facility and or a RoRo bridge between ship and shore. Current thinking of doing away with Mexe and or its mother ships in favour of always having access to a well found port is an absolute folly.