RFA In General

[Pelican]

HOW TO JOIN THE RFA

Life at sea with the RFA takes a set of unique personal qualities. Whether you’re just starting out or have experience working in another merchant shipping company, there are opportunities for you, providing you have the determination, ambition and ability to work as part of a team. And as a civilian organisation, our eligibility criteria are different to the Royal Navy, so if you’ve served in the past you could still join our fleet and continue your career.

[The leave is'nt bad either.]

See - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/rf ... d_thruplay

[Pelican]

Mine-hunting ‘mother ship’ arrives in Plymouth

A specialist ship bought to support Royal Navy mine-hunting operations – a mother ship to launch drones to find and destroy undersea threats – has arrived in Plymouth.

Extract: "Purchased from Island Offshore, the vessel – currently named MV Island Crown, but due to be renamed as it joins the fleet – arrived at HMNB Devonport, where it will undergo minimal conversion work, primarily to support installation of military communication systems and Royal Fleet Auxiliary operations, before being handed over to the RFA later this year."

See - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... n-plymouth

[Pelican]

Harland & Wolff to get around 50% share of the Fleet Solid Support ship contract value


Harland & Wolff has now formally signed the manufacturing subcontract with Navantia UK for the £1.6 billion Fleet Solid Support ship project.

Under the terms of the subcontract, Harland & Wolff will be responsible for delivering works worth around £700 million – £800 million through the life of the programme. Bath-based BMT will receive fees for their design work but it can be assumed that the remainder of the contract value will go to Navantia. The Spanish company will construct the complex propulsion blocks of the first ship at least, as well as provide the majority of the expertise and technology transfers that will underpin the project.

Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/harland-wol ... act-value/

See - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 44/photo/1

[Pelican]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship visits Belfast ahead of support vessels contract work at Harland and Wolff shipyard

See - https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/r ... rd-4022961
LFT

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... vNO86MrUMU

[Pelican]

RFA Diligence for sale – another stealth cut to the Navy

The was no official announcement but the RN has just lost another important capability. RFA Diligence is a forward repair ship able to provide specialist engineering support to ships and submarines alongside in overseas ports or even at sea. Diligence has been inactive in Birkenhead for over a year and the MoD has just put her up for sale.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/rfa-diligen ... -the-navy/

Also see - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 3256044547

[Pelican]

RFA Diligence for sale – another stealth cut to the Navy

The was no official announcement but the RN has just lost another important capability. RFA Diligence is a forward repair ship able to provide specialist engineering support to ships and submarines alongside in overseas ports or even at sea. Diligence has been inactive in Birkenhead for over a year and the MoD has just put her up for sale.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/rfa-diligen ... -the-navy/

Also see - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 3256044547

Navy Lookout

Ex-RFA Diligence alongside in Portsmouth awaits scrapping.
At 42 years old not economical to convert her to mothership role as some suggest.
She looks in such good condition because, MoD in their wisdom, decided to lay her up following an £11M refit.

[Pelican]

The current status of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/the-cur ... cWtJ9rND8c

[Pelican]

Replenishments at sea are the bread and butter of Royal Fleet Auxiliary operations but for tanker Tideforce recent trials saw them successfully refuel a commercial vessel.

She worked alongside MV Raleigh Fisher in Portland and across the south coast to see how an RFA tanker could provide a wider range of service to the commercial world and vice-versa.

Tideforce both gave fuel to the commercial ship and received it in the series of tests and manoeuvres.

It comes as the Royal Navy is looking at developing replenishment operations between commercial tankers and RFA ships to sustain task groups and warships for even longer.

Prior to both operations, the crew of MV Raleigh Fisher were given invaluable instruction and advice from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the safety of RAS equipment.
Continues at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... JDTBiiZYow

[Pelican]

RFA Mounts Bay RFA Strlng Castle RFA Tidesurge RFA Tideforce alongside in Portland.

[Wot no mention of the The Barge?]

See - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 5435557890

[Pelican]

BREAKING: [News via Twitter]

Maritime trade unions representing Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel have rejected pay offer and STRIKE is likely. Potentially impacting Autum deployments.
RFA offered 4.5% increase (From July) +£1500 annual pay rise across the board (Similar to RN award)

The RFA is suffering from acute shortages of people in many categories. Post-pandemic there's a worldwide shortage of seafarers and the service is struggling to compete with pay/conditions offered by commercial shipping.

The shortage of sailors is already impacting the ability to get ships to sea:
eg RFA Fort Victoria laid up, struggle to crew RFA Proteus and some ships operating with Tailored Scheme of Compliment (TSOC) - absolute minimum safe level of crew.