Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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Tempest414
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Tempest414 »

A136 Dive dive!

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

RFA Tiderace (A137) departed Portsmouth this morning.
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(Amy Savage @AmzJS13)

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

Diagram of Tide class, sourced from Navy Lookout:
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https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/suppor ... s-tankers/

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

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RFA Tidespring (A136) escorting/following HMS Queen Elizabeth back to Portsmouth.

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^ The Isle of Wight behind Tidespring

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Tidespring continued west to Stokes Bay and has dropped anchor. Isle of Wight on the left, Hampshire on the right.

Digger22
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Digger22 »

A very wet looking Phalanx position.

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SKB
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

Tidespring in Stokes Bay this morning after arriving yesterday (10 Dec 2018)

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(@MrSnaplegs)
I see the Tide is in this morning...
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(@MrSnaplegs)
I see the Tide is on the turn............
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

According to AIS, RFA Tidespring (A136) left Stokes Bay at 17:00 yesterday evening (Tuesday 11 December), and arrived in Devonport 08:00 this morning.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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Image

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shark bait
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

I hope the Brits get to have a look around, on the surface it looks like a capable little ship.

The Wave class is the next auxiliary due for replacement (Future Auxiliary Oiler is due in service before the FSS) for which HNoMS Maud should be a strong candidate.
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

shark bait wrote:The Wave class is the next auxiliary due for replacement (Future Auxiliary Oiler is due in service before the FSS)
That rqrmnt was filled by a charter (two in a row?) by a much more modest tanker than the Waves
- neither of the two has been used as a stop-gap (I wonder what has been used, or rather just commercial services, as it has been a while since the chartering lapsed - and the operator sold the ship on)
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Poiuytrewq »

This is what Merlin capable looks like.
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(Tidesurge)

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Pongoglo »

SKB wrote: Image
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(Amy Savage @AmzJS13)
and unlike QE she has already got her 30mm - good arcs too :thumbup:

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SW1 »

Looks like a successful design and program.


Could the same hull be used for solid stores ship by replacing its fuel offload tanks with solid stores bunkers?

The Norwegian ship with the hospital is a good modification as we bought s bigger ship I wonder why we didn’t go there, 4 such ships with a hospital may of been very useful.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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SW1 wrote:Could the same hull be used for solid stores ship by replacing its fuel offload tanks with solid stores bunkers?
I for one would happy if got 3 solid stores tide class ships it would take a good chuck out of design spend meaning we would be more likely to get 3 ships

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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SW1 wrote:The Norwegian ship with the hospital is a good modification as we bought s bigger ship I wonder why we didn’t go there, 4 such ships with a hospital may of been very useful.
Because the RN don't need 4 hospital ships, they need a highly efficient system to keep the carrier sustained, the Tides being a big part of that system.

The Norwegian ship is a good example of a multi-role auxiliary on the surface, the RN should consider it as a Wave Class and Argus replacement.
Tempest414 wrote:I for one would happy if got 3 solid stores tide class ships it would take a good chuck out of design spend
I'm not confident it would. Tankers are real simple ships, they are not designed for to accommodate high strength cargo decks and I expect it would be more effort than it's worth redesigning the platform. Perhaps it is better to find a civilian cargo ship to start the design with?
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SW1 »

shark bait wrote:
SW1 wrote:The Norwegian ship with the hospital is a good modification as we bought s bigger ship I wonder why we didn’t go there, 4 such ships with a hospital may of been very useful.
Because the RN don't need 4 hospital ships, they need a highly efficient system to keep the carrier sustained, the Tides being a big part of that system.

The Norwegian ship is a good example of a multi-role auxiliary on the surface, the RN should consider it as a Wave Class and Argus replacement.
Tempest414 wrote:I for one would happy if got 3 solid stores tide class ships it would take a good chuck out of design spend
I'm not confident it would. Tankers are real simple ships, they are not designed for to accommodate high strength cargo decks and I expect it would be more effort than it's worth redesigning the platform. Perhaps it is better to find a civilian cargo ship to start the design with?
Really so why the talk about multiple hospital ships then!

Second it’s what is given up for the inclusion of a 48 bed facility. If it’s mainly just the astern replenishment capability is that such a problem and given the uk tides are considerably larger than the Norwegian ship it may not impact offload capacity. To have a role 2+ hospital capability deploying with your principle fighting element would to me at least make sense and that there would be more than one ship with that capability would be a useful capability to use when deployed else where in the world. The french and us forces have such a capability imbedded in multiple amphibious vessels that deploy with the task groups.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Aethulwulf »

Before this discussion goes much further, it should be remembered that each of the UK Tides is fitted with a small Role 2 medical facility.

They were primarily included so as to provided the necessary medical cover and life saving surgery for any casualties from small scale 'interventions' by RM or special forces.
RFA-Tidespring-Sick-bay-1024x492.jpg
See
https://www.qarnns.co.uk/maritime-ops

and
https://www.qarnns.co.uk/maritime-ops/role-2-afloat for a bit more info.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

Using Oilers as hospital/casuality ship does not look great. When caught by fire, oiler is a big big match box. Casualties needs much longer time to escape than normal crew. Yes all ships can take fire, and comprehensive firewall will be there to save the ship (or at least save the time). But even with a good firewall, I'm afraid an oiler cannot control any severe fire.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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On operations it shouldn't be dual role, it should be either a Tanker or a Medical ship, not both at the same time.
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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(Photos: Gary Davies @MaritimePhotos)

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Do they have high enough maintainable speed to keep up with the CTF and earn their "fleet tanker" call sign?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Dave »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:Do they have high enough maintainable speed to keep up with the CTF and earn their "fleet tanker" call sign?
27 knots should be enough to do it, wouldn’t it?

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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Dave wrote:27 knots should be enough to do it, wouldn’t it?
It would, but have they ever been clocked at that speed? On paper they look a little too underpowerd to reach the high 20's. The invincible class has far more power (3-4 times more) than the Tide class to supposedly reach similar speeds.
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