UK engineering SME Force Development Services (FDS) has successfully tested its containerised medical mission module at sea for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) NavyPODS – Navy Persistent Operational Deployment System – programme.
The two-week medical trial, which was carried out by the Royal Naval Medical Service (RNMS) on board the RN’s ice patrol ship HMS Protector off the east coast of England in late April, places the Medical NavyPODS at technology readiness level (TRL) 8.
Speaking to Naval News, FDS Business Development Director Paul Keating-Brown said the sea trial proved the Medical NavyPODS’ ability to integrate into the ship and operate agnostic of the ship, demonstrating how the RNMS can deliver healthcare onboard naval ships that do not have a Role 2 capability. It follows the successful completion of a 100-day capability sprint directed by the First Sea Lord that concluded in March.
Led by the RN’s Disruptive Capability Technology Office (DCTO), the100-day sprint aimed to accelerate high-maturity NavyPODS prototypes developed by FDS – which include the company’s medical capability and a secure RF communications module – towards operational readiness.
Launched in late 2021, the RN’s NavyPODS programme envisages the creation of a ‘plug and play’ fleet using standardised 20 ft ISO containers to rapidly deploy specialised capabilities across a range of surface ships. Since 2023 FDS has produced 12 of the 20 NavyPODS prototypes that have so far been built for the programme.
Medical NavyPODS configuration
The Medical NavyPODS is centred on a 20 ft ISO hard‑sided, double‑expanding clinical container, supported by a separate life‑support unit that provides power backup and distribution, water storage and waste management, medical‑grade oxygen generation and sterilisation services.
The current version has been re-engineered from the original minimum viable product that was delivered under a 103-day contract in early 2023, Keating-Brown said. While the footprint and basic architecture remain unchanged, the latest standard incorporates several substantial changes based on user feedback and early operating experience.
The most visible change is a completely redesigned side‑pod deployment system. The current mechanism enables a single operator to wind out each side‑pod using a simple mechanical drive – enabling clinical teams to achieve initial operating capability in just 17 to 20 minutes. Once deployed, the NavyPODS are fully self‑supporting, so there is no need for additional contact with the ship’s deck, Keating-Brown noted. This makes the system easier to integrate on board and also means the Medical NavyPODS is pan-domain deployable.
Another systems‑level change is the new HVAC unit, which was designed and built in‑house. The unit has been sized to deliver the air changes per hour needed for a theatre‑grade environment at positive pressure and tuned to run quietly and efficiently, using heat recovery to keep energy consumption within the limits of the 20 ft module’s power budget.
According to Keating-Brown, there was no existing off‑the‑shelf HVAC package that could provide the required blend of airflow, footprint, noise and maintainability in the available space, which is why the company opted to create its own design for maritime and land medical use.
The trial also marked the first time a NavyPOD has been installed on a shock raft system designed to mitigate major shock events transmitted through the ship’s hull. Developed in-house by FDS, the new raft will enable containerised capabilities to be considered for platforms and operating areas where shock threats are a key design driver, Keating-Brown said. The first‑of‑type integration provides an important reference point for future modular capability designs that must meet demanding naval shock standards, he added.
Prior to the sea phase, the enhancements were tested and proven by RNMS during a three-day land-based trial at HMS Sultan in early March, which was conducted in collaboration with the DCTO as part of the 100-day sprint. During the land-based test, around a dozen clinical stakeholders, including a deployed clinical director, doctors and nurses, reconfigured the Medical NavyPODS for a variety of scenarios, including intensive care and resuscitation in theatre. “That was hugely successful with positive feedback from the clinicians,” Keating-Brown said.
Future outlook
With traditional medical platforms facing severe constraints – underscored by the loss of RFA Argus and the recent reallocation of the Bay-class landing ship RFA Lyme Bay to a minehunting mothership role – the ability to project containerised Role 2 medical capabilities onto a variety of platforms is becoming essential, Keating-Brown noted. Because the FDS medical module can plug and play seamlessly, the capability can be deployed on standard naval vessels, requisitioned commercial ships to support humanitarian, combat operations and on land, he said.
In anticipation of potential future demand from the UK and overseas customers, FDS has significantly expanded its industrial capacity. Over the past 18 months, the company has relocated to a larger headquarters in Fareham and recently surged again into an additional bulk manufacturing site capable of housing a larger volume of containers.
Beyond 20 ft ISO containers FDS is developing modular payload solutions in other shapes and sizes to meet force requirements to move faster and lighter. During 2025, FDS signed strategic memorandums of understanding with naval design consultants BMT to explore platform integration and Damen Naval to focus on configurable mission bays and modular payload challenges, and an exclusive partnership agreement with Taylors USA for shock and vibration solutions.
In a further expansion of its deployable medical portfolio, on 14 April the company announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Royal Philips, which aims to design, build, and deliver pan-domain deployable CT Scanner NavyPODS for civilian and military operations.
Under the arrangement, FDS will provide the military-grade containerised infrastructure, while Philips will integrate its advanced, AI-enabled CT 5300 scanner, bringing virtual tools for real-time collaboration to austere environments.
