British Navy’s Tide-class tanker RFA Tiderace arrives for customisation programme
The British Royal Navy’s newest Tide-class support ship, RFA Tiderace, has arrived in Cornwall, UK, to receive customisation work in Falmouth.
The British Royal Navy’s newest Tide-class support ship, RFA Tiderace, has arrived in Cornwall, UK, to receive customisation work in Falmouth.
RFA Tiderace is the second vessel of the Tide-class belonging to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
The 39,000t vessel can carry up to 19,000m³ of fuel and 1,400m³ of fresh water to support the British Navy’s operations across the globe.
The ship has been designed specifically to support the navy’s latest Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the first of which, HMS Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Portsmouth, UK, in August.
The scope of the project includes the installation of new armour, self-defence weaponry, and communications systems.
The RFA Tiderace customisation programme will help generate 300 local job opportunities in the country.
The work content in the Tide-class programme is valued at approximately £150m and will help support additional jobs at 27 UK-based companies.
The vessel is expected to undergo nearly four months of customisation and will then start a final round of sea trials before entering service next year.
UK Defence Procurement Minister Harriett Baldwin said: “This year of the Royal Navy goes from strength to strength as we welcome yet another new ship into the UK’s growing fleet.
The first Tide-class tanker RFA Tidespring arrived in April to undergo customisation work.
RFA Tidespring is expected to complete final sea trials over the coming weeks and will enter service before the end of this year.
The Tide-class vessels feature a flight deck that is capable of accommodating the large Chinook helicopter.
Image: RFA Tiderace arrives in Falmouth, UK. Photo: courtesy of Crown.