Casualty Ship

Primary Casualty Receiving Ship

The ship's primary role is to serve as a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship. She has a fully equipped 100 bed hospital including a 4 bay operating theatre with a 10 bed Critical Care Unit, a 20 bed High Dependency Unit and a CT Scanner. Her secondary role is to provide aviation training facilities.

At a glance

18,280 tonnes

Displacement

175 metres

Length

Personnel

80 crew

On board

Personnel

4-bay

Operating theatre

Self-defence

RFA Argus is fitted with self-defence weaponry and decoys to protect herself and her crew from harm. Because of this, and the fact that she may have operational units embarked, under the Geneva Convention she can't be classified as a hospital ship and does not display the International Red Cross symbol.

Weapons and capabilities

DS30B 30mm Gun

Automated small calibre gun

A single mounting carrying an Oerlikon 30mm gun, it was designed as a ship-protection system to defend Royal Navy frigates from various short-range missiles, rockets, grenades and explosives. 

The gun is controlled from a remote operator console elsewhere on the ship.

GAM BO 20MM

Auto cannon

A simple hand operated mounting carrying a single Oerlikon KAA200 automatic cannon.

It can fire 1,000 rounds a minute and has a  range of 2,000m.

Being a part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

3/O Brown, 30

Marine Engineer Officer

I get three months off for every four months I’m at sea. I’ve used that time to travel even more of the world – there aren’t many jobs that offer that sort of opportunity.

Morning

Breakfast in the officers’ mess sets me up for the day. It’s hearty, wholesome, and gives me all the fuel I need.

Briefing

Officers receive a morning briefing which outlines the objectives and exercises each team needs to complete that day.

Daily rounds

I’m the systems engineer on duty. With my team, I make sure the ship’s power systems are in top working order.

Afternoon

As the officer of the day, I represent the Captain, ensuring everything on the ship runs smoothly and safely, whatever the mission.

Downtime

Later on, I head to my cabin and enjoy a bit of downtime. This normally means catching up on admin or exercise.

Evening

If time allows, I get to relax and unwind with my crewmates in the officers’ mess. It’s the perfect way to end the day.

Will you join us?

From divers to chefs, musicians to engineers, there’s a whole world of career options with the Royal Navy. Join us to be part of something special, protecting our nation’s interests, all over the world.

Be part of it

Click on a location to explore our operations

Middle East

Kipion

Units of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been on patrol in the Gulf since October 1980, after the Iran/Iraq conflict of that year, and more recently operations have extended further south with the increase in piracy off the Somalia coast. 

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Ships, units and aircraft need periods of maintenance and sea-going trials to ensure that they are at their best for any tasks asked of them.

South Atlantic

Atlantic Patrol Tasking South

Ships and units on Atlantic Patrol Tasking provide ongoing protection and reassurance to British interests in the Atlantic, maintaining the continuous Royal Naval presence in the Atlantic. 

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Gallery

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RFA Argus (A135)

RFA Tiderace (A137)

RFA Tidespring (A136)

RFA Wave Knight (A389)

Fort II Class

Bay Class

Fort I Class