RFA Tide Class Replenishment Tankers (MARS Programme)
Built in South Korea (DSME), customized and entered service in the UK. · 2014–2019 (construction and delivery of four vessels) · £452m (contract for four ships)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe decision to build the vessels in South Korea was driven by cost-effectiveness and shipyard capacity, but required significant UK integration work. - The Tide class tankers are crucial for supporting the Royal Navy's global operations and enabling the Carrier Strike Group. - Initial integration challenges highlighted the importance of early and continuous collaboration between international shipbuilders and the end-user. - The vessels are designed to be flexible and state-of-the-art, providing essential logistical support for the fleet.
Key engineering challenges
Integrating UK-specific systems and customization into vessels built in South Korea. - Ensuring seamless interoperability with Royal Navy warships, particularly the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. - Overcoming initial delays in customization and capability assessments post-delivery. - Designing for efficient underway replenishment at sea, a complex and critical operation.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), Ministry of Defence
- Lead contractor
- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), South Korea (construction); A&P Group, UK (customization and fitting out)
- Lead designers
- BMT Defence Services (design support)
- Project type
- new build (vessel/fleet programme)
- Scale
- Four 37,000-tonne vessels (RFA Tidespring, Tiderace, Tidesurge, Tideforce); provide fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition, and other supplies; 200m long.
- Disciplines
- Naval Architecture; Marine Engineering; Systems Engineering; Logistics Engineering; Defence Engineering; Shipbuilding
- Standards & frameworks
- Royal Fleet Auxiliary standards, UK Ministry of Defence procurement regulations, international maritime regulations (e.g., MARPOL).
Sources: Royal Navy: Tide Class Replenishment Tanker (https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/equipment/ships/tide-class) - Navy Lookout: Supporting the Royal Navy at sea – the Tide class tankers (https://www.navylookout.com/supporting-the-royal-navy-at-sea-in-focus-the-tide-class-tankers/) - Wikipedia: Tide-class tanker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-class_tanker) - Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Export: Tide Class Tankers (https://des.mod.uk/what-we-do/navy-procurement-support/tide-class-tankers/) - GlobalSecurity.org: RFA Tide Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) (https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/rfa-tide-mars.htm)