RFA Wave Knight completes Middle East deployment
UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker Wave Knighthas returned to the UK following a seven-month deployment to the Middle East.
The vessel sustained Royal Navy, French, Spanish and US naval vessels with fuel as they patrolled waters east of Suez for six months; as well as NATO’s security mission in the Mediterranean, Operation Sea Guardian.
In total Wave Knight dispensed 12,276 cubic metres of ship fuel during the mission, and 319 cubic metres of fuel for helicopters and aircraft flown from allied warships in the region.
The vessel’s fuel tanks will be pumped out at the fuel depot in Loch Striven, where it is due to arrive on 29 February. The ship will then head to Devonport to offload remaining stores and supplies, then sail to Birkenhead at the end of March to begin a refit at the Cammell Laird yard.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Funding for the future US Navy Trump-class battleship sparks controversy in Congress
Lawmakers question the US Navy’s proposed $2 billion investment in the Trump-class battleship as concerns over cost, technology maturity and operational relevance fuel growing bipartisan scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
-
UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition
The UK shipbuilder’s full-year results to the end of March revealed the impact of the £140 million charge linked to design changes and rework on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme.
-
US Navy expands non-standard acquisitions to rapidly field emerging technologies
The US Navy is increasing the use of OTA obligations to accelerate the procurement of seabed-subsea, littoral, expeditionary and uncrewed solutions.