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The New Tide Class Tankers


Commodore Duncan Lamb Commodore,


Royal Fleet Auxillary


The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Tanker project will replace a number of existing Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships and provide new capabilities to support the Royal Navy (RN) worldwide. MARS Tankers, known as the TIDE Class (RFA TIDESPRING, RFA TIDERACE, RFA TIDESURGE and RFA TIDEFORCE) are required to replace the capability that was provided by ageing single hulled vessels which were no longer fully compliant with interna‐ tional maritime legislation.


The MARS Tankers will maintain the Royal Navy’s dedicated bulk fuel Replenishment At Sea capabilities, deploying worldwide to support individual warships and as an integrated element of Maritime Task Groups. The ships will also provide a flexible capability to undertake a wide range of maritime operations,


RFA Tidespring moored in Yosuka, Japan


such as constabulary and humanitarian relief, and will provide support to NATO and coalition allies.


By the end of the decade the TIDE Class will be the mainstay of operations by Royal Navy ships and task groups around the globe, in particular the carrier task groups formed around HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.


MARS Tanker Design and Build Contract


In 2009 the MOD issued an advertisement for a competition to deliver the Build element of the MARS tanker. In February 2012, the Department announced that DSME, in partnership with BMT, was the preferred bidder for the MARS Tanker project; the contract was awarded in March 2012. The MARS Tankers are being built to a design provided by UK Company BMT Defence Services.


MOD’s MARS Project Team continues to support both DSME and BMT through collaboration and sharing of information with other nations with similar naval auxiliary programmes and requirements. Formal arrangements exist with Norway as the Norwegian vessel (HNoMS MAUD) is already in construction at DSME.


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Society of Maritime Industries Annual Review 2017


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