Royal Research Ship

A Royal Research Ship (RRS) is a merchant navy vessel of the United Kingdom that conducts scientific research for His Majesty's Government. Organisations operating such ships include; the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). A warrant from the monarch is required before a ship can be designated as an RRS.^[1]

Relationship with the Royal Navy

In the 1950s and 1960s the Royal Research Ships of the day were owned by the Admiralty, partially managed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), and run as ships of that fleet.

The work of the Royal Research Ship operated by the British Antarctic Survey is complemented by a Royal Navy icebreaker, currently HMS Protector, which provides science logistics support to the British Antarctic Survey.^[2]

Current Royal Research Ships

All ships bear the prefix "RRS" - Royal Research Ship.

Ship	Entered service	Displacement	Type	Owner	Operator
RRS Sir David Attenborough	2021	15,000 tonnes[3]	Research ship	Natural Environment Research Council	British Antarctic Survey
RRS James Cook	2007	5,800 tonnes[4]			National Marine Facilities Division National Oceanography Centre
RRS Discovery	2013	6,260 tonnes[5]

• 
  Sir David Attenborough
• 
  James Cook
• 
  Discovery

Notable former Royal Research Ships

• RRS Discovery (1901)
• RRS William Scoresby (1926)
• RRS Discovery II (1929)
• RRS Shackleton (1955)
• RRS John Biscoe (1956)
• RRS Discovery (1962)
• RRS Bransfield (1970)
• RRS Charles Darwin (1985)
• RRS Ernest Shackleton (1999)
• RRS James Clark Ross (1990)

See also

• Marine Directorate
• History of research ships
• Research vessel