RFA Tideforce (A139)
RFA Tideforce is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Launched in 2017, the ship entered service with the RFA in 2019.
![]() RFA Tideforce on the Firth of Clyde on 28 February 2019. | |
History | |
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Name: | RFA Tideforce |
Ordered: | February 2012 |
Builder: | DSME |
Laid down: | 24 December 2015 |
Launched: | 21 January 2017 |
In service: | 30 July 2019 |
Identification: |
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Status: | In active Service |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type: | Tide-class fast fleet tanker |
Displacement: | 37,000 t (36,000 long tons) |
Length: | 200.9 m (659 ft 1 in) |
Beam: | 28.6 m (93 ft 10 in)[2] |
Draft: | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
Propulsion: | CODELOD |
Speed: | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)[3] |
Range: | 18,200 nautical miles (33,700 km; 20,900 mi) |
Capacity: |
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Complement: | 63 plus 46 non-crew embarked persons (Royal Marines, flight crew, trainees) |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | 1 medium helicopter with full hangar facilities (Merlin / Wildcat), flight deck capable of landing Chinook-size helicopter |
Construction
Tideforce, along with her three sister ships, was built by DSME in South Korea. As the fourth and final Tide-class vessel, her steel was first cut on 2 December 2015 prior to being laid down on 24 December 2015. Around nine months later, the ship was fully assembled and floated out by 12 September 2016. A series of builder's sea trials subsequently commenced and, in June 2018, the ship left South Korea for delivery to the United Kingdom via San Diego and the Panama Canal.[5] The ship arrived in Falmouth for fitting out on 22 August 2018. This involved the installation of communications equipment, defensive systems, a floating helipad and refueling rigs.[6] Following fitting out, the ship carried out capability assessment trials, replenishment at sea (RAS) trials and first-of-class flying trials.[6] Her first RAS was carried out with RFA Fort Victoria (A387) off the Isle of Portland and a RAS with her sistership RFA Tidesurge (A138) occurred shortly thereafter.[7][5] In July 2019, she achieved further milestones, carrying out her first RAS with the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), as well as her first RAS with a foreign vessel, HNLMS Friesland (P842) of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[5]
Operational history

Tideforce entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 30 July 2019, the last of her class to do so following sister ships Tidespring, Tiderace and Tidesurge.[8] In September, the ship joined the UK Carrier Strike Group on its three-month Westlant 19 deployment to the United States.[9]
In August 2020, Tideforce rendezvoused with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 to provide replenishment.[10] In March, whilst conducting aviation training off the Devon and Dorset coast, Tideforce responded to an emergency call from a Dutch-flagged ship and provided assistance to an injured sailor.[11] During the same month, the ship joined eight UK naval ships in responding to seven Russian vessels near British waters.[12] In June, the ship carried out the first night time replenishment at sea with a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.[13]
References
- "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy's MARS Tanker Competition". Defencepro Daily. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- "HMS Westminster's refuelling first with new tanker RFA Tidespring". Royal Navy. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- "Kelvin Hughes to supply equipment for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- "RFA Tideforce". Historical RFA. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "FOURTH TIDE-CLASS TANKER ARRIVES FOR FIT-OUT". Maritime Journal. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Tankers". TheyWorkForYou. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- "RFA Tideforce Joins Royal Fleet Auxiliary Completing UK's New Tanker Fleet". Naval News. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH JOINS WORLD'S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING". Royal Navy. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "TANKER TIDEFORCE POWERS NATO TASK GROUP". Royal Navy. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "NAVAL TANKER'S CREW HELP INJURED SAILOR OFF PORTLAND". Royal Navy. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "Nine British Royal Navy and RFA ships 'monitoring every movement' of Russian war ships in UK waters". The News. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- "First night replenishment at sea for British Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier". Navy Recognition. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.