RFA Tideforce on the Firth of Clyde on 28 February 2019.
History
United Kingdom
NameTideforce
OrderedFebruary 2012
BuilderDSME
Laid down24 December 2015
Launched21 January 2017
In service30 July 2019
HomeportMarchwood Military Port, Southampton[1]
Identification
MottoRaise on the 3/4
StatusIn active Service
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeTide-class fast fleet tanker
Displacement37,000 t (36,000 long tons)
Length200.9 m (659 ft 1 in)
Beam28.6 m (93 ft 10 in)[3]
Draft10 m (32 ft 10 in)
PropulsionCODELOD
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range18,200 nautical miles (33,700 km; 20,900 mi)
Capacity
  • Tanks for diesel oil, aviation fuel (19.000 m³) and fresh water (1,400 m³)
  • Lubrication oil stored in drums
  • Stowage for up to eight 20 ft containers
Complement63 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
  • 2 × Phalanx CIWS (fitted for, depending on deployment)[5]
  • 2 × 30 mm cannons (fitted for, depending on deployment)[6]
Aircraft carried1 medium helicopter with full hangar facilities (Merlin / Wildcat), flight deck capable of landing Chinook-size helicopter

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.

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.[7] 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.[8] Following fitting out, the ship carried out capability assessment trials, replenishment at sea (RAS) trials and first-of-class flying trials.[8] Her first RAS was carried out with RFA Fort Victoria off the Isle of Portland and a RAS with her sister ship RFA Tidesurge occurred shortly thereafter.[9][7] In July 2019, she achieved further milestones, carrying out her first RAS with the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, as well as her first RAS with a foreign vessel, HNLMS Friesland of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[7]

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.[10] In September, the ship joined the UK Carrier Strike Group on its three-month Westlant 19 deployment to the United States.[11]

In August 2020, Tideforce rendezvoused with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 to provide replenishment.[12] 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.[13] During the same month, the ship joined eight UK naval ships in responding to seven Russian vessels near British waters.[14] In June, the ship carried out the first night time replenishment at sea with a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.[15]

In October 2022, Tideforce, with Wildcat helicopter embarked, was deployed to the Turks and Caicos islands to provide surveillance support to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force which was confronted with rising gang violence in the territory.[16]

In July 2023, Tideforce conducted replenishment-at-sea exercises with MV Raleigh Fisher, a merchant navy vessel on contract to the MoD. The purpose of the exercise was to trial replenishment-at-sea capabilities with merchant navy ships.[17] In September 2023, Tideforce was tasked to escort HMS Queen Elizabeth during her "Operation FIREDRAKE" deployment in northern European waters.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "FOI(A) regarding the Royal Navy" (PDF). What do they know?. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy's MARS Tanker Competition". Defencepro Daily. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Kelvin Hughes to supply equipment for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Last ditch defence – the Phalanx close-in weapon system in focus". Navy Lookout. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "The all-rounder – the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun in focus". Navy Lookout. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "RFA Tideforce". Historical RFA. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  8. 1 2 "FOURTH TIDE-CLASS TANKER ARRIVES FOR FIT-OUT". Maritime Journal. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Tankers". TheyWorkForYou. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "RFA Tideforce Joins Royal Fleet Auxiliary Completing UK's New Tanker Fleet". Naval News. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "HMS Queen Elizabeth Joins World's Biggest Coffee Morning". Royal Navy. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Tanker Tideforce Powers NATO Task Group". Royal Navy. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Naval Tanker's Crew Help Injured Sailor Off Portland". Royal Navy. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ "First night replenishment at sea for British Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier". Navy Recognition. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Royal Navy Deploys to Help Fight Gang Violence in Turks & Caicos". Maritime Executive. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Tideforce replenish-at-sea trials with commercial tanker". Royal Navy. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "2023 Carrier Strike Group deployment begins". Navy Lookout. 11 September 2023.
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