Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Fort Victoria

Fort Victoria was ordered from Harland and Wolff in 1986, and was launched in 1990 and is designated as an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship. She was dedicated by HRH the Duchess of York on the 24th June 1994. Fort Victoria regularly deploys on exercises to such places as America, The Middle East and The Mediterranean.

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RFA Wave Knight

RFA Wave Knight (A389) is a Wave Knight-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was launched in 2000 and accepted into service in 2003. She is the second ship to bear this name in RFA service. Wave Knight and her sister, Wave Ruler, replaced the elderly Olna and Olwen, 36, 000 ton fast fleet tankers built at Swan Hunter and Hawthorn Leslie respectively in the 1960s. The ships are crewed by 72 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel and there is also provision for 26 Royal Navy personnel for helicopter and weapons systems operations. Wave Knight is able to operate in support of amphibious forces, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations and protection of vital sea areas and shipping. She has the capability to deliver fuel through an RAS (replenishment at sea) rig, either port, starboard or astern to other vessels. For amphibious support, the ships can also deliver fuel to pillow tanks or dracones positioned alongside.

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RFA Orangeleaf

The ship began life as a merchant vessel, MV Balder, London, before joining the RFA Fleet. She had a major refit in 1985 which fitted her with gantries and other equipment, enabling her to carry out replenishment at sea (RAS). She is a single-hull tanker with a cargo capacity of 22,000 cubic metres of diesel, 3,800 cubic metres of Avcat (aviation fuel) and a limited capacity for refrigerated and general naval stores.

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RFA Black Rover

RFA Black Rover is one of two Small Fleet Tankers owned and operated by the UK Ministry of Defence (sister ship is RFA Gold Rover). Built by Swan Hunters and launched in 1973, Black Rover has served all over the world in support of UK and Allied Maritime Forces. Her primary role is to replenish other Naval units at sea with diesel and aviation fuel. This is achieved using a technique called “RAS” (Replenishment at Sea). This involves the receiving ship transiting on a parallel course to Black Rover at a speed of around 12 knots, separated by around 30 meters of sea between the hulls of the two ships. Fuel is then pumped from Black Rover’s cargo fuel tanks via a complex array of rigs and hoses which are connected to the receiving ship. This critical element of maritime sustainability ensures that Naval assets can remain operational thus negating the need to go off-task to obtain fuel alongside. In addition to this Black Rover also carries out regular military maritime patrols around British Overseas Territories and is capable of conducting disaster relief operations. Black Rover is equipped with a single spot flight deck for the launch and recovery of rotary wing aircraft and a self defence weapons fit.

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RFA Cardigan Bay

Cardigan Bay is a Bay class ship, an adaptation of the Dutch Rotterdam class, and replaced the ageing ‘Sir’ class of RFA ships. These highly agile and useful ships are integral to the delivery of a responsive Royal Navy which can deploy anywhere in the world. They can also work in support of the Royal Marines and can assist in disaster and humanitarian relief, for example supporting the UN effort in Haiti following the earthquake. The ships are able to operate landing craft through the stern door, their large vehicle deck will support up to 24 main battle tanks accessible by a stern and side ramp. Two 30-tonnne crane decks enable the handling of loads such as Mexeflotes, landing craft, and containers. The integral floodable deck can handle one 96ft long, 240-tonnne landing craft and avaiation facilities include a two-spot Chinook-capable flight deck. Capable of self-defence, Cardigan Bay is equipped with four 30mm cannon and fittings for Phalanx CIWS. Cardigan Bay has the space to carry more than 300 embarked forces and has proved her worth and versatility working in support of NATO and foreign navies in the Gulf.

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RFA Argus

The principal role of RFA Argus is to serve as a Primary Casualty Receiving Facility (PCRF). She has a fully equipped 100-bed hospital onboard offering full services. This includes a four-bay Operating Theatre coupled with a 10-bed Critical Care Unit, a 20-bed High Dependency Unit and a CT scanner. RFA Argus does not comply with the Geneva Convention’s definition of a ‘hospital ship’ as she is fitted with self-defence guns and decoys and may have operational units embarked. Thus RFA Argus is not classified as a hospital ship and does not display the International Red Cross symbol. Her secondary role is to provide specialist aviation training facilities. RFA Argus has a flexible design which enables her to fulfil additional roles. As a logistic ship she can be adapted to transport large amounts of equipment quickly.

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RFA Diligence

Forward Support is that element of Naval Operational Logistics by which the military capability of Fleet Force Elements can be sustained away from UK base ports in war fighting or non war fighting environments. RFA Diligence is a sophisticated, multi-purpose ship, fitted with a wide range of workshops for hull and machinery repairs, as well as the facilities for supplying electricity, water, fuel, air, steam, cranes and stores to other ships and submarines.

Originally operating as the MV Stena Inspector, Diligence was designed for commercial operation as an offshore maintenance and Diving Support Vessel.  In 1982 she was chartered by the Ministry of Defence for Service in the South Atlantic.  Purchased by the Ministry of Defence in 1983, and converted to a Forward Repair Ship (FRS), the ship was commissioned as RFA Diligence in March 1984 and manned by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ship is the only Forward Repair Ship in the fleet and was deployed during both Gulf conflicts.

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