Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

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

Post by Caribbean »

What about width? If the ties are at 1.8m, that looks around 8-9m wide at the near end. Maybe 2 Merlin side-by-side?
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

スクリーンショット 2018-03-01 0.48.09.png
Looks like 14 points. If true, 25.2 m.
I agree it is wide. But the 2nd-floor "balcony" looks like prepared for Merlin. So, maybe 1 Merline? Not sure.... :angel:
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Pymes75 »

I see that Tidesurge has finally reappeared on AIS, waiting to transit the Panama Canal.

Not long now until we have 3x Tides in UK waters...

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Pongoglo »

donald_of_tokyo wrote:
スクリーンショット 2018-03-01 0.48.09.png
Looks like 14 points. If true, 25.2 m.
I agree it is wide. But the 2nd-floor "balcony" looks like prepared for Merlin. So, maybe 1 Merline? Not sure.... :angel:
I would still vote for two Merlin side by side - if it is only one with a hanger that big its a pretty poor design :-(. How do we know that the tie points are 1.8 metre between? Definitely easily accommodate two Wildcat, even the T45 can do that ....

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Pongoglo wrote: if it is only one with a hanger that big its a pretty poor design
on a vessel twice the length of our previous pocket-carriers, and twice their displacement ;)
- I still think the double-funnel wraparound has something to do with this
- one Merlin for own use; another ferried to work with the Bays (once "in the area")?
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Aethulwulf »

I don't know the exact size of the hanger in the Tide class, but the RN requirement was for a hanger large enough to support and maintain 1 merlin.

If the hanger is only big enough for 1 merlin, this is not a fault of the design; the design meets the requirement.

For those who wish for a bigger hanger, all I can say is the RN customer disagrees with you.

It is not just an issue of ship design and construction costs. Manpower, as ever, is key. Does the RN have the personnel required to support 2 Merlins on each Tide, along with those deployed on QEC and elsewhere. If the answer is no, then paying for a bigger hanger is just a waste.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by RetroSicotte »

More, is it as much required there? As ACC said, they're accompanying ships that carry far more helos than they used to; and not just the carriers. Escorts too.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by andrew98 »

Would have been nice it if it had been designed for either 2 merlin's, or 1 heavy helo i.e. Chinook or maybe even a USMC CH-53K King Stallion on an exchange program.
Even if it normally had only 1 Merlin on board.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by benny14 »

So Tiderace is going to commission very soon. Tidesurge will be in the UK at the end of the month and commissioned sometime by August/September. Do we think Tideforce will make it before the end of this year or early next year? My money is on December/January for commissioning.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

Tideforce was suppose to be delivered in December, shes at sea at the moment, so will only be a little late by MOD procurement standards.
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by RetroSicotte »

shark bait wrote:Tideforce was suppose to be delivered in December, shes at sea at the moment, so will only be a little late by MOD procurement standards.
They're here, they're out at sea, they're in home waters, there's no major operation requiring them.

It's a good position to be in to ease back and just do it at the pace of best testing. Date of entry at this point is of less importance than knowing they're at the stage they are now.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Smokey »

Tidesurge has passed through the Panama Canal.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Smokey »

Smokey wrote:Tidesurge has passed through the Panama Canal.
and has now left Antigua.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »



^ RFA Tidespring RAS with T23 HMS Montrose

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Pymes75 »

Tidesurge has arrived off the Falmouth coast ready to be fitted out with her UK kit.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/ho ... 87/zoom:13

Getting there...

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

Image
Today we welcome RFA TIDESURGE to the UK for the first time, as she arrives in Falmouth ahead of her customisation work, which supports 300 local jobs.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

RFA TIDESPRING in the midst of it all during Exercise Joint Warrior:
Image
Found the image on Twitter


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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

Image
Image

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Gabriele »

Note most important passage in that news piece (assuming it is accurate):
Measuring just over 200 meters in length and with a top speed of 27 knots, RFA Tidespring is a welcome addition to the fleet.
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Exactly what a "fleet" tanker is all about:
- can keep up
- not @18, not @ 20 ... but close to 28 (you are not doing replenishment during combat ops; but to be able to get to the general area, and "be around" could be a virtue - that has been designed in).
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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Ron5 »

Or go get more and be back pronto.

Not sure why speed is it's most important characteristic tho'. I could think of a few higher up the list.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by SKB »

....so that a ship at speed and in a hurry, but needing fuel, stays at speed and doesn't need to slow down to a (sea) snails pace for RAS and delay its progress to its destination.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by Ron5 »

SKB wrote:....so that a ship at speed and in a hurry, but needing fuel, stays at speed and doesn't need to slow down to a (sea) snails pace for RAS and delay its progress to its destination.
CONREP at 27 knots. Sure.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by whitelancer »

Their are no front lines at sea, so where do you locate your supply ships? IMHO the best place for the RFA ships is with those they are supporting. The threat today does not come from big guns on warships but from the air and underwater so your replenishment ships are in no greater danger with your warships than if they were kept back (wherever back is at sea), and only called forward when required. In addition you would have to provide additional escorts both ASW & AAW. Where are they going to come from? Far better to concentrate your resources. Of course the problem has been that the support shipping has been relatively slow, so if the Tide class is capable of 27 knots they could keep with a Carrier Task Force a very good thing in my opinion.

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Re: Tide Class Tankers (MARS) (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

whitelancer wrote: would have to provide additional escorts both ASW & AAW. Where are they going to come from? Far better to concentrate your resources
Quite. The division to Fleet tankers and others (supporting singletons, which mode of deployment seems to be fading in importance) is gone
- save for the one that does our (and other NATO) bases; and the replacement of which is shrouded in mystery... new build or another charter?
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.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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