Fort Victoria class replenishment oiler

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Fort Victoria-class

General Characteristics
Displacement:	32,300 (full) tons
Length:	203 m
Beam:	30 m
Draught:	10 m
Propulsion:	2 shafts, Crossley-Pielstick V-16 diesels, 23,904 bhp
Speed:	20 knots
Range:
Complement:	95 RFA / 15 RN / 154 FAA / 24 RNSTS civilians
Armament:	2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 x 20 mm Oerlikon / BMARC KAA guns in GAM-B01 mounts Radar Type 993 3-D surveillance NATO Seagnat countermeasures launchers Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft:	up to 5 x Westland Sea King or AgustaWestland EH101 (3 in hangar)

The Fort Victoria or Fort class is a class of replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, a role that combines the missions of a tanker and stores supply ship. As such they are designated Auxiliary Oiler Replenisher (AOR).

Six ships were planned to supply the Type 23 class frigates in their North Atlantic anti-submarine role. The Type 23 was at the time planned to be a low cost, lightly armed class. The Fort class ships were therefore expected to defend both themselves and the Type 23 with the Sea Wolf vertical launch surface-to-air missile (SAM).

The lessons of the Falklands War and the end of the Cold War lead to a re-evaluation of this plan. The Type 23 emerged as a much more potent, multi-role vessel and the requirement for the Fort class was reduced from six to two.

Fort Victoria was built by Harland & Wolff and Fort George by Swan Hunter and the ships entered service in 1993.