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
-
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”
Although the CDC project is still in its early stages, the Canadian Department of National Defence already has some requirements for the future platforms.
-
US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection
The Naval Supply Systems Command is seeking authorised resellers of JaiaBot uncrewed underwater vehicles and multivehicle pods. The platforms will support undergraduate education at the US Naval Academy.