RFA Tide class tankers (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability - MARS)
South Korea (construction); UK (fitting out and operation) · 2014 (first laid down) - 2017 (first entered service) · £450 million (total for four ships); £150 million (UK content/fitting out)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchDecision to build hulls overseas to leverage international shipbuilding capabilities while retaining significant UK content for design and fitting out. - The class provides crucial logistical support for the Royal Navy's carrier strike groups and other deployments.
Key engineering challenges
Integrating UK-specific equipment and systems into hulls built in South Korea. - Designing for efficient replenishment at sea (RAS) operations for various naval vessels. - Ensuring high speed and endurance for global deployments.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)
- Lead contractor
- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), South Korea (hull construction); UK companies (design, equipment, fitting out)
- Lead designers
- BMT Defence Services (design)
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 4 ships in class; Length: 201 m; Beam: 29 m; Displacement: 37,000 tonnes (full load); Speed: 26.8 knots
- Disciplines
- Naval architecture; marine engineering; logistics; systems integration
- Standards & frameworks
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Sources: Wikipedia: Tide-class tanker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-class_tanker) - 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/)