Tide-class tanker

This article is about the ships that entered service from 2017. For the Cold War tankers, see Tide-class replenishment oiler.

Tiderace in August 2017
Class overview
NameTide class
BuildersDSME
OperatorsRFA Ensign Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Preceded byLeaf class and Rover class
Cost
  • £452 million (eventually £550 million) for 4 RFA vessels (hull build only)
  • £137.5 million per RFA unit final (hull build only)
  • NOK 1.32 billion for HNoMS Maud (FY 2013)
In service2017
Planned4 (RFA), 1 (Norway)
Completed4 (RFA), 1 (Norway)
Active3 (RFA), 1 (Norway)
Laid up1 (RFA) in extended readiness (uncrewed reserve)
General characteristics [1]
TypeFast fleet tanker
Displacement39,000 t (38,000 long tons; 43,000 short tons)
Length200.9 m (659 ft 1 in)
Beam28.6 m (93 ft 10 in)[2]
Draft10 m (32 ft 10 in)
PropulsionCombined diesel-electric or diesel (CODELOD)
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)[6]
Range18,200 nautical miles (33,700 km; 20,900 mi)
Capacity
  • Tanks for diesel oil, aviation fuel (19,000 m³) and fresh water (1,400 m³)
  • Lubrication oil stored in drums
  • Stowage for up to eight 20 ft containers
Complement63 plus 46 non-crew embarked persons (Royal Marines, flight crew, trainees)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Kelvin Hughes Integrated Bridge System
  • Servowatch IPMS System
  • 3 × SharpEye radar[3]
Armament
  • 2 × Phalanx CIWS (fitted for, depending on deployment)[4]
  • 2 × DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns (fitted for, depending on deployment)[5]
Aircraft carried1 × Wildcat or AgustaWestland Merlin
Aviation facilities
  • Enclosed Merlin-capable hangar
  • Large Chinook-capable flight deck
Aerial view of RFA Tideforce

The Tide-class tanker (formerly the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project) is a class of four fast fleet tankers that entered service with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 2017. The 37,000 t ships provide fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. Norway ordered a similar 26,000 t version with a 48-bed hospital and greater solid stores capacity, but reduced liquid capacity; it was delivered in November 2018 as HNoMS Maud two years after originally planned. The two classes are very similar but are not directly comparable due to large variance in capabilities delivered.

The two variants are both based on the AEGIR design from Britain's BMT Defence Services but were built by Daewoo in South Korea with final outfitting in the UK and Norway respectively. Britain ordered four ships in February 2012 at a cost of £452m for the building of the hulls, but in the end became £550m. The Royal Norwegian Navy ordered HNoMS Maud in June 2013 for NOK1,320m (~£140m).

  1. ^ "Tide Class MARS Tanker". BMT. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. ^ "DSME Announced as Winning Bid for Royal Navy's MARS Tanker Competition". Defencepro Daily. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Kelvin Hughes to supply equipment for 4 MARS tankers vessels for Royal Fleet Auxiliary". NavyRecognition.com. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Last ditch defence – the Phalanx close-in weapon system in focus". Navy Lookout. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  5. ^ "The all-rounder – the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun in focus". Navy Lookout. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Supporting the Royal Navy at sea – the Tide class tankers". themilitarytimes.co.uk. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.