NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2009 13
Integrated yet distinct
IT’S a difficult trick to pull off
and started to develop contacts and contributor to the maritime security Thus you find RFA tankers Wave Ruler could not ask for a better job in terms of
– seamlessly integrating into an
friendships with Royal Navy personnel field. and Wave Knight, as well as landing ship variety, satisfaction and rewards.
organisation yet retaining your
who understood what we were trying to “Our ships regularly go to sea with Largs Bay on duty on Atlantic Patrol Task “Training, career opportunities, job
achieve and needed to do,” said Cdre aircraft embarked, particularly Merlin, and (North), and RFA Cardigan Bay on station satisfaction at a young age – and potential
individuality and character. Walworth. the LSD(A)s were designed specifically for between the oil terminals in the Northern to be tremendous fun, it’s all here,” he
But it’s a feat which the top man in the “Before that it had been a different Royal Marines and amphibious warfare. Gulf – “two tasks we are very proud of but said.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary believes his team RFA, spending significantly less time at “Most of our seamen and many of our not, in the past, carried out by RFAs. “The guys can join in with the RN in
has achieved. sea as integrated members of task groups. supply ratings are trained gunners, and “While I may be the head of the service, terms of sailing, sport and the like; if they
Cdre Bill Walworth sees the two sides of “We hope we now put ships to sea these days we can frequently carry out perched in my ivory tower in Portsmouth, want, it is all available to us.”
the same coin as being the key factors in that understand the business and that tasks which in the past were carried out I have spent most of my life at sea, and The coming years hold out the promise
how the RFA is currently developing, and complement the task group, rather than by warships. I am conscious of the fact that in an of new ships – tankers and logistics
they have made the RFA a much better are just bolted on to the side. “Let’s not beat around the bush; we are organisation as individualistic and diverse vessels, including those to support the
outfit for it. “And our people very much recognise here to help the Royal Navy fight and win, and full of so many interesting characters new carriers, are the priority – as well as
“We are an integrated element of the importance of what they do for defence and our people understand that. and individuals, with a great range of modified personnel procedures including
the Royal Navy – that works all the – and if they are not sure, Commander-in- “Instead of standing on the touchline characters, there are a lot of views out recruitment and training through closer
way through the organisation,” the Chief Fleet Admiral Stanhope regularly watching, in today’s battlespace there is there but everybody is out to do the best links with the Navy.
Commodore told Navy News. reminds us of the importance of the no touchline. job they can highly professionally.” In the shorter term, Cdre Walworth is
“But we also have a very strong identity RFA to the ability of the RN to deploy “We have had to learn how to operate And the commodore believes that for visiting ships and establishments to find
of which we are very proud. We are very worldwide.” in that environment.” recruitment purposes, a civilian mariner out what the RFA people are thinking and
proud of what we do, for the Royal Navy and He added: “We are in the middle of a their views on Project Darwin.
Royal Marines and for wider defence.” large-scale programme, Project Darwin,
Cdre Walworth traces the strands of to make ourselves more efficient, to be The RFA Flotilla
“I have made it a point of my period in
this chair to listen to what the guys say and
integration back to the Falklands, when it better able to provide what the RN needs
The core role of the RFA is to supply the RN at sea with food, fuel,
try to see what can be done,” he said.
became obvious that officers and ratings
marina
from its sustainability ships.
ammunition and spares to maintain operations away from home ports.
“There’s no silver bullet, but they can
had to have a greater understanding of “We want to make sure our be very proud of what we are doing and
marina It is manned by civilians – the trained requirement is just under 2,500 –
what was going on in other Task Group outputs are entirely aligned with
but the ships are owned by the Ministry of Defence and the organisation
their role in the security of the country.”
ships to fulfil the group’s potential. the RN and our processes are
answers to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet.
That involved aligning areas of training, transparent and coherent.”
The current RFA Flotilla consists of 16 ships, 12 of them tankers,
for example, but other benefits accrued
marina
Cdre Walworth continued:
supply or support ships and the four most recent – the 16,160-tonne Bay-
from the new approach. “We are not just about
class – are amphibious landing ships.
“The RFA became much more supplying fuel and stores –
knowledgeable about operations we are now also a major
● Fast fl eet tanker RFA
Wave Ruler prepares to
replenish at sea with Type
23 frigate HMS Portland
Picture: LA(Phot) Owen King
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