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The Tide is nigh: RFA tanker crews ready to support RN’s premier deployment
14 April 2025
Gearing up for their crucial supporting role in the Navy’s biggest deployment in four years are the crew of Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tidespring.
The Tide-class vessel – one of four large oilers built specifically for such missions – is assigned to the Carrier Strike Group 25. Led by UK flagship HMS Prince of Wales, departing home waters next week for Japan and Australia during an eight-month-long mission.
She is part of a comprehensive support element of the deployment, which also sees a Norwegian variant of the Tide ships, HNoMS Maud, joining the group, while in the later stages of the mission, helicopter support vessel RFA Argus – which also has the UK Armed Forces’ sole large hospital facility afloat – is due to take part.
The 39,000-tonne ship – the four Tide tankers are second only to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers when it comes to displacement – has spent the bulk of 2025 in Birkenhead undergoing maintenance and upgrades to prepare her for the mission, including specialist biofouling work on the hull to ensure no invasive species are transferred by the ship to other parts of the globe.
In addition, the ship and her crew have undergone extensive training off the South Coast.
Head of the RFA, Commodore Sam Shattock said: “The RFA has a proud history of supporting and sustaining the Royal Navy and international partners on operations all over the world.
“The RFA will play its part during the Carrier Strike Group deployment to sustain the UK’s expeditionary maritime and security capabilities in key strategic regions; reinforcing our nation’s presence and support to international partners. I wish the supporting RFA ships and people all the best for the deployment and look forward to welcoming them home at the end of the deployment.”
Without the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which is marking its 120th anniversary this year, the Royal Navy would largely be confined to home waters: warships rely on its personnel and ships to deliver fuel, first and foremost, but also ammunition, spare parts, water, fuel, engineering support and much more – all ‘on the go’, without having to put into port every few days.
The ships and aircraft are expected to use 45,000 ‘cubes’ (cubic metres – or 45 million litres/just short of ten million gallons) of fuel, with the participating warships alone expected to sail more than 33,000 miles.
At 39,000 tonnes, the Tide-class ships are second only to the Royal Navy’s carriers in size and were built specifically to support the strike groups.
Fully-laden the tankers carry 19 million litres of fuel for ships and aircraft – that’s more than enough to fill seven Olympic-sized swimming pools.
When the pumps and fuel lines are hooked up with another vessel, they can deliver upwards of 800,000 litres in an hour… that would fill the tanks of more than 14,500 family cars.
Doing a Thursday War – when they throw everything at the ship and ship’s company to test us – as part of Operational Sea Training was a highlight of my time in service.
The ships also carry over one million litres of fresh water – vital for disaster relief missions, or to help other ships should their fresh-water plants break down.
And there’s also space for up to eight shipping containers: spare parts, disaster relief kits, food.
The flight deck is large enough for all UK military helicopters and the hangar can accommodate a Royal Navy Merlin or Wildcat – they frequently embark to support front-line operations which include submarine hunting, targeting drug smuggling and providing aid after a natural disaster.
Given the scale of the deployment, the regular crew of around 60 will swell to more than 100 for much of the time away. Instead of 1,300-plus meals per week, the team in the galley will be expected to serve up more than 2,100 at peak times, perhaps even more if there is night flying.
“I have been fortunate to have been a chef in the RFA for 17 years, literally cooking all over the world,” said Leading Chef Ian Hill. (We’re sure there’s a Status Quo song there…)
Med-tech Mark Townsend is on hand in the sick bay to make sure his shipmates don’t dine too well, with ensuring all aboard are “fit and healthy and meet the required standards to be onboard” so they can perform their jobs… and provide immediate assistance in the event of accidents and illness.
Shipmate Adam Torap is a communications rating, conducting visual and radio signalling from the bridge and processing classified traffic in and out of the ship’s main communications office.
“Doing a Thursday War – when they throw everything at the ship and ship’s company to test us – as part of Operational Sea Training was a highlight of my time in service,” he said. “Now we’re about to travel the world as part of Carrier Strike Group 25.”
And in the bowels of the tanker, the engineering department ensure the leviathan powers through the water and has the ‘hotel services’ required to do the job: heating, water, electricity, sewage.
Second Officer Daniel Renshaw, with 12 years under his belt in the RFA, is responsible for power and propulsion. “I really enjoy the role and the travelling I have experienced.”
Third Officer Matthew Goodman is responsible for systems and mechanical engineering, dealing with all things electrical, including high voltage supplies and electronics associated with mechanical engineering.
“Without engineers, the ship wouldn’t function,” he says starkly. “It is an engineering requirement of all ranks to the keep the ship fully operational.”