Tide-class tanker
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Tide Class MARS tanker |
| Builders: | Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) |
| Operators: |
 Royal Norwegian Navy |
| Preceded by: | Wave-class tanker |
| In service: | from 2016 |
| Planned: | 5 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class & type: | Fast Fleet Tanker |
| Displacement: | 37,000 tonnes |
| Length: | 200.9 metres (659 ft) |
| Beam: | 28.6 metres (94 ft)[2] |
| Draft: | 10 metres (33 ft) |
| Capacity: |
|
| Complement: | 63 plus 46 non-crew embarked persons |
| Sensors and processing systems: | Kelvin Hughes Integrated Bridge System with 3 x SharpEye radar[3] |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 medium helicopter with full hangar facilities |
The Tide-class tanker are a proposed class of four large fast fleet tankers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) of the United Kingdom. Originally known under the project name Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability tankers (MARS), they will be tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. The vessels were ordered on 22 February 2012 in an order worth £452 million.[4] The ships were designed by BMT Defence Services in Bath, England but will be constructed in South Korea and have a projected in-service date of 2016.[5][6]
In July 2013, the Norwegian government selected a 26,000 tonne variant of the AEGIR design as the Navy's next logistic and support vessel; if a contract is confirmed, the new tanker will also be built in South Korea and is scheduled for service entry in October 2016.[7]
Design
The four new vessels will be over 200 metres long and displace more than 37,000 tonnes. Based on BMT Defence Services' 'AEGIR' tanker concept, they are designed from the outset to be more environmentally friendly, producing lower carbon dioxide emissions and being more fuel efficient. They will be among the most environmentally friendly warships ever built.[8] The ships will be double-hulled to prevent or reduce environmental pollution from oil spills if damage is sustained to the outer hull, complying with international regulations and allowing operation around the globe. The four vessels will replace the RFA's three remaining Rover and Leaf class tankers.[6]
Replenishment will be provided from three abeam Replenishment at sea (RAS) stations for diesel oil, aviation fuel and fresh water. The vessels will have a flight deck and will provide a vertical replenishment at sea capability.[1]
Ships of the class
On 13 November 2012 the Royal Fleet Auxiliary named the tankers as the Tide-class and named all four vessels. These are:
- RFA Tidespring, battle honours in 1982 from Tidespring.
- RFA Tiderace, after service in the Suez Crisis, the Tiderace was renamed the Tideflow to avoid confusion with another ship name.
- RFA Tidesurge, originally launched as Tiderange in 1954, she spent many of her early years east of Suez; served until 1976.
- RFA Tideforce, a new RFA name.[9]
Potential operators
Australia: The Aegir 18A, a 26,000 tonne tanker, is being offered with Daewoo and ASC to the Royal Australian Navy for Phase 3 of SEA 1653 to replace HMAS Success with a more capable replenishment ship; if the bid is successful, Australia's tankers will be built in South Australia.[10] BMT's bid is competing against the Spanish Buque de Aprovisionamiento en Combate from Navantia, and the Berlin-class from FSG for the contract.[11]
See also
- Tide-class replenishment oiler - 1950s class whose names are reused by some of the MARS ships
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy’s MARS Tanker Competition". Defencepro Daily. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=610
- ↑ "Government To Spend £452m On Four New Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tankers". Royal Navy. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ "South Korea wins Royal Navy tanker deal worth £452m". BBC. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "MoD buys £452m MARS tanker ships". Defence Management. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ "Norway chooses DSME to build its biggest ship". TR Defence. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ↑ "MARS goes green". Defence Management. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ "Names announced for RFA future tankers". Royal Navy. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ↑ "ASC partners with DSME, BMT for Australian fleet support requirement". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ↑ "Project Sea 1654 - Maritime operational support capability". Asia Pacific Defence Reporter. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
External links
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