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
United Kingdom
Name: RFA Tideforce
Ordered: February 2012
Builder: DSME
Laid down: 24 December 2015
Launched: 21 January 2017
In service: 30 July 2019
Identification:
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:
  • Tanks for diesel oil, aviation fuel (19.000m3) and fresh water (1,400m3)
  • Lubrication oil stored in drums
  • Stowage for up to 8 × 20 containers
Complement: 63 plus 46 non-crew embarked persons (Royal Marines, flight crew, trainees)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Kelvin Hughes Integrated Bridge System
  • Servowatch IPMS System
  • 3 × SharpEye radar[4]
Armament:
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 during Exercise Westlant 18.

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
  1. "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy's MARS Tanker Competition". Defencepro Daily. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. "HMS Westminster's refuelling first with new tanker RFA Tidespring". Royal Navy. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  4. "Kelvin Hughes to supply equipment for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. "RFA Tideforce". Historical RFA. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. "FOURTH TIDE-CLASS TANKER ARRIVES FOR FIT-OUT". Maritime Journal. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  7. "Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Tankers". TheyWorkForYou. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  8. "RFA Tideforce Joins Royal Fleet Auxiliary Completing UK's New Tanker Fleet". Naval News. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  9. "HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH JOINS WORLD'S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING". Royal Navy. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  10. "TANKER TIDEFORCE POWERS NATO TASK GROUP". Royal Navy. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. "NAVAL TANKER'S CREW HELP INJURED SAILOR OFF PORTLAND". Royal Navy. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  12. "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.
  13. "First night replenishment at sea for British Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier". Navy Recognition. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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