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RFA Cardigan Bay is an amphibious ship designed to carry and offload troops and their equipment – up to 400 people, plus 150 trucks or 24 tanks at once.
RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) is currently on deployment
Operation Kipion
Middle East
This unit is currently on deployment, find out how that might affect you.
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RFA Cardigan Bay is a Bay-class Landing Ship Dock; an agile and useful vessel, poised and ready to support a Royal Navy with the scope to deploy anywhere in the world.
An adaptation of the Dutch Rotterdam class, the Bay-class replaced the ageing Sir-class of RFA ships. However, the Bay-class are larger, more capable, more flexible and have over twice the capacity of their predecessors.
In fact, Bay-class amphibious landing ship can offload troops in rougher weather than previous ships, in half the time.
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We have been on patrol in the Gulf since 1980, demonstrating the UK’s commitment to peace and stability.
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Her primary role is to get troops and equipment where they need to be, fast. With a floodable dock at the stern, RFA Cardigan Bay can offload troops either using landing craft or from her large flight deck. The ship can also carry ‘mexeflotes’ – 120ft-long powered pontoons (rafts) that can be used to ferry equipment ashore. Cardigan Bay's large medical department is also a valuable asset. She can take on an enhanced medical team ready to become a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship, though this role is more typically carried out by RFA Argus. Cardigan Bay has also acted as ‘mothership’ to minehunters – she’s a real asset to our fleet. Meanwhile, her sister-ship, Mounts Bay, saved thousands of lives supporting Operation Ruman.
RFA Cardigan Bay was launched in 2005 and entered service in 2006; she was the first ship of the class to join the RFA.
Supporting amphibious landings by the Royal Marines and acting as a ‘mother ship’ to minehunters – she spent 50 months at sea.
Hardworking RFA Cardigan Bay returned home for maintenance.
After a long and arduous spring full of maintenance and training, she returned to the Gulf on operations.
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The UK merchant sailors of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary provide global and crucial logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy fleet.
A vital element of the Royal Navy's role is keeping the peace, preventing conflict and containing situations before they develop.
The UK has a responsibility to its citizens and its allies to endeavour to safeguard the high seas. This is why the Royal Navy protects home and international waters.
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