Fort I Class

Solid Replenishment Ship

The Solid Support Ship is designed to carry a wide range of stores to support other ships with ammunition, food and explosives to replenish naval ships at sea. They have extensive aviation facilities, with 2 flight decks; one at the stern and one spot on top of the hanger.

They have the ability to replenish at sea via 6 replenishment stations, three on each side as well as using helicopters for vertical replenishment (VERTREP).

 

At a glance

displacement

23,384 tonnes

Displacement

24.1 metres

Beam length

22 knots

Top speed

2 flight decks

On board

Supplies on the move

The Solid Support Ships replenish warships of the Royal Navy and Allied navies with food, stores and ammunition, whilst underway.

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.

Phalanx

Close-in weapon

Phalanx is one of the deadly last lines of defence for Britain's warships. Capable of engaging targets around one mile away, it is a radar-controlled Gatling gun which fires 20mm shells, spewing out 3,000 rounds a minute.

Designed to engage incoming enemy aircraft and missiles if they penetrated a ship or task group's outer ring of defences such as Sea Viper or Sea Dart.

During Operation Telic, Phalanx guns were removed from ships and used to defend Basra airport, the hub of British operations, they saw extensive action against incoming rockets and mortars fired by insurgents.

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.

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. 

FIND OUT MORE

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. 

FIND OUT MORE