Tide-class tanker
 A CGI of the Tide-class tanker | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Tide class |
| Builders: | DSME |
| Operators: |
 Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
| Preceded by: | Leaf class and Rover class |
| Cost: | £450,000,000 |
| In service: | from 2016 |
| Planned: | 4 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type: | 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) |
| Speed: | 26.8 knots (49.6 km/h; 30.8 mph) |
| Range: | 18,200 nautical miles (33,700 km; 20,900 mi) |
| Capacity: |
|
| Complement: | 63 (17 officers, 12 senior ratings, 13 enlisted) plus 46 non-crew embarked persons (Royal Marines, flight crew, trainees) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
|
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: | 1 medium helicopter with full hangar facilities |
The Tide-class tanker is a class of fast fleet tanker currently under construction for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 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 January 2015, the keel was laid for the first vessel, Tidespring, whilst the steel was cut for the second vessel, Tiderace.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9] 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 two remaining Rover-class vessels and the recently decommissioned Leaf-class tankers.[6]
Replenishment will be provided by 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 the Tide class. These are:
- RFA Tidespring A136 (Battle honours in 1982 from Tidespring)
- RFA Tiderace A137
- RFA Tidesurge A138
- RFA Tideforce A139 (A new RFA name)[10]
Norwegian units
- HNoMS Maud[11]
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.[12] BMT's bid is competing against the Spanish Buque de Aprovisionamiento en Combate from Navantia, and the Berlin class from FSG for the contract.[13] On 6 June 2014 Australian Defence Minister David Johnston announced that a restricted competition will be held between Navantia with the Cantabria class and DSME with the Aegir 18A, the winner of the competition to build two ships, these ships will not be built in Australia.[14]
See also
- Tide-class replenishment oiler - 1950s class whose names are reused by some of the MARS ships
References
- 1 2 "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.
- ↑ "Kelvin Hughes to supply equipment for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 "MoD buys £452m MARS tanker ships". Defence Management. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ↑ desider (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ http://www.janes.com/article/54460/naval-support-vessels-from-south-korea-dsei15-d3
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Minister for Defence – Transcript – Naval shipbuilding announcement, CEA Technologies, Canberra". Retrieved 30 June 2014.
External links
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