RFA Tiderace (A137)

RFA Tiderace is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Ordered from DSME in 2012, she was officially named on 1 December 2016[5] and was accepted by the Ministry of Defence in June 2017.[6] Tiderace entered service on 2 August 2018.[7]

Tiderace in August 2017
History
United Kingdom
Name: RFA Tiderace
Ordered: February 2012
Builder: DSME
Laid down: June 2015
Launched: November 2015
In service: 2 August 2018
Identification:
Status: In 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 (1,300m3)
  • 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:
  • 2 × Phalanx CIWS
  • 2 × 30 mm cannons
  • 4 x MK44 Miniguns
  • 4 × General Purpose Machine Guns
Aircraft carried: 1 medium helicopter
Aviation facilities: Full hangar facilities (Merlin/Wildcat), flight deck capable of landing Chinook-size helicopter

Tiderace departed her builders in August 2017 bound for the United Kingdom.[8] She arrived at A&P Falmouth, Cornwall on 25 September 2017 for final fitting out with sensitive military equipment prior to UK sea trials and entry into service in 2018.[9][10]

Construction

Tiderace is the second ship of her class and was ordered on 22 February 2012.[11] Like her sister ships, she was built by DSME in South Korea with her fitting-out carried out by A&P Group in Falmouth, England. Her steel was first cut on 8 December 2014, prior to being laid down on 8 June 2015.[11] On 10 November 2015, a fire broke out on an LPG carrier being built in the same drydock as Tiderace, killing a shipyard worker and injuring seven others. The incident did not cause any damage to Tiderace but it caused a delay of nearly three weeks.[11] She was subsequently launched on 28 November 2015 and was officially named by her Lady Sponsor, Mrs Anita Lister, the wife of Royal Navy Vice Admiral Simon R Lister on 1 December 2016.[11]

Builder's sea trials were carried out between 13 January and 29 June 2017.[11] On completion of these, Tiderace sailed from South Korea for delivery to the United Kingdom via the Kanmon Straits of Japan, the United States naval bases in Yokosuka, Japan and San Diego, United States, the Panama Canal and Curaçao.[11] She arrived in Falmouth, England on 24 September 2017 prior to entering drydock at A&P Falmouth for UK customisation, including the installation of armour, self-defence weaponry and communications systems.[12][11] Following this, she began a series of capability assessment trials, replenishment at sea (RAS) trials and first-of-class flying trials which saw her first RAS with Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset and her first flying trials with a Merlin Mk2 helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron.[13][14] She officially joined the fleet on 3 August 2018 following a service of dedication in Portland.[13]

Operational history

In April 2019, Tiderace participated in Exercise Joint Warrior, a large-scale NATO military exercise held in Scotland. She joined a task force lead by the Royal Navy's landing platform dock HMS Albion, which also included the destroyer HMS Defender, frigate HMS Kent, landing ship dock RFA Lyme Bay and 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines.[15][16]

In January 2020, Tiderace began a refit and maintenance period at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England.[17] Her six month refit involved "major and invasive" work, including the replacement of all four engine/generator funnel exhausts and an upgrade to her high-pressure saltwater fire-main.[18] After her refit, she made a maiden call to Gibraltar.[19]

References
  1. "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT Defence Services. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy's MARS Tanker Competition". Defence Professionals GmbH. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. 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. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. British Embassy Seoul (2 December 2016). "RFA Tiderace unveiled in South Korea". Gov.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  6. @RfaNostalgia (28 June 2017). "Another milestone day for the #RoyalFleetAuxiliary - Acceptance of Tiderace" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 March 2019 – via Twitter.
  7. @NavyLookout (2 August 2018). "First of the Tide class joins Twitter... Welcome @RFATiderace" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 March 2019 – via Twitter.
  8. "RFA Tiderace leaves South Korea for Falmouth via American base in Japan". Falmouth Packet. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  9. "New ship to support the aircraft carriers arrives in UK". Gov.uk. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  10. "A&P Group wins major MoD contract to customise and support new RFA tanker fleet". A&P Group. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  11. "RFA Tiderace". Historical RFA. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  12. "RFA Tiderace arrives in UK". Defence Equipment and Support. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  13. "New Giant Tanker RFA Tiderace Joins the Fleet". Royal Navy. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  14. "Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Tankers". TheyWorkForYou. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  15. "Exercise Joint Warrior Reaches Its High Point". Royal Navy. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  16. "Royal Navy on Joint Warrior: "This is What I Joined For"". WarfareToday. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  17. "RFA Tiderace enters refit and maintenance period". UK Defence Journal. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  18. "Tanker Tiderace Returns to Sea After Merseyside Revamp". Royal Navy. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  19. "RFA tanker in maiden call to Gibraltar". Gibraltar Chronicle. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
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