RFA PROTEUS began Sea Trials on 17 September 2023 with the aim of reaching Initial Operating Capability mid-2024 and at Full Operating Capability by the end of 2024. Multi Role Ocean Surveillance Ship-2 is a replacement for HMS SCOTT which goes out of service in 2033. The requirements for the ship are in development but the programme is in the pre-concept phase and no decisions regarding its capability have been made. The two vessels are complementary and distinct. The Royal Navy’s Multi-Role Oceanographic Surveillance (MROS) vessels will form one component of a suite of capabilities to monitor and respond to novel seabed threats. MROS Government Response: Defence in Scotland: the North Atlantic and the High North 7 is complementary to the RN’s Mine Counter-Measures Vessel (MCMV) programme to replace legacy mine countermeasures ships. Cutting-edge technologies will be introduced over the next decade to offer operational choice at home and overseas.