Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

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SKB
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Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by SKB »

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^ RFA Wave Knight (A389)

Introduction
The Wave-class tankers are a class of fast fleet tankers in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The class is tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. There are two ships in the class, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler. The ships were ordered to replace the aging Ol-class tankers RFA Olna and RFA Olwen. The two vessels have seen service in a number of locations, including anti-drug and hurricane relief operations in the Caribbean Sea, anti-piracy activities around the Horn of Africa and deterrent patrols in the South Atlantic.


History
A contract was placed for the vessels in 1997 with Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (Marconi Marine VSEL). Construction of Wave Knight began in 1998 at VSEL's Barrow-in-Furness yard and the ship was launched in 2000. With the acquisition of Marconi Electronic Systems and its Marconi Marine subsidiary in 1999 British Aerospace became BAE Systems. BAE now owns VSEL in Barrow and the Yarrow and Govan shipyards on the Clyde. BAE transferred the construction of Wave Ruler to Govan in 2000 and the vessel was launched in 2001. Both vessels were commissioned in 2003.


Design
The ships have the capability to supply fuel and other liquid cargo to vessels using replenishment rigs on port and starboard beams and through a Hudson reel-type stern rig. When providing support for amphibious operations, the ships are also able to deliver fuel to dracones positioned alongside. The equipment load includes cranes (for stores handling and abeam replenishment), steering and rudder gear, thyristor-controlled winch/windlasses and double drum mooring winches. Up to 16,000 m3 (570,000 cu ft) of liquids and 500 m3 (18,000 cu ft) of general solids can be carried. In addition, reverse-osmosis equipment is fitted enabling the production of 100 m3 (3,500 cu ft) of drinkable water per day.

The vessels were designed with double hulls to prevent or reduce environmental pollution from oil spills if damage is sustained to the outer hull.

The ships can operate a Merlin HM1 helicopter, or other helicopters of similar size, from a hangar and flight deck at the stern. On deployments to Atlantic Patrol Task (N) they have typically embarked a Royal Navy Lynx or a United States Coast Guard helicopter.

The vessels have a standard crew of 80 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for a further 22 Royal Navy personnel to conduct helicopter and weapons systems operations. They carry a full medical team and sick bay and are capable of distributing 2,000 emergency relief packages in times of crisis.


Ships In Class
1. RFA Wave Knight (A389) Launched 29th September 2000. Commissioned 8th April 2003.
2. RFA Wave Ruler (A390) Launched 9th February 2001. Commissioned 27th April 2003.


Specifications
Type: Fast fleet tanker
Displacement: 31,500 tonnes approx
Length: 196.5 m (644 ft 8 in)
Beam: 28.25 m (92 ft 8 in)
Draft: 9.97 m (32 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:
Diesel-electric:
4 × Wartsila 12V 32E/GECLM diesel generators 25,514 metric horsepower (18.76 MW)
2 × GEC Alstom motors with Cegelec variable speed converters 19,040 metric horsepower (14 MW)
1 × shaft
18t thrust electric Kamewa bow thruster and 12t thrust electric stern thruster, both powered by Cegelec variable speed drives and motors
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Range: 10,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity:
16,000 m3 of liquids (of which 3,000 m3 aviation fuel & 380 m3 fresh water)
125 tonnes of lubricating oil
500 m3 of solids
150 tonnes of fresh food in eight 20 ft refrigerated container units.
Complement: 80 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for 22 Royal Navy personnel for helicopter and weapons systems operations
Sensors and processing systems:
Surface search: E/F band
Navigation: KH 1077, I-band
Kelvin Hughes Ltd SharpEye navigation radar[4]
IFF: Type 1017
Armament:
2 × DS30B 30 mm cannon;
2 × 7.62 mm Mk.44 miniguns;
5 × 7.62 mm L7 machine guns;
2 × Vulcan Phalanx CIWS
Aircraft carried: 1 × Merlin helicopter with full hangar facilities

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SKB
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

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GibMariner
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

RFA Wave Knight to replace HMS Mersey in the Caribbean?
http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish ... 8671.shtml

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

RFA Wave Knight takes over from HMS Mersey in the Caribbean
A wave for Wave Knight. A sailor on HMS Mersey’s bridge wing hails the tanker in the mid-Atlantic as the two ships trade places on Caribbean patrol duties, with the support ship relieving the patrol vessel after six months in the region.

The captain and senior officers from RFA Wave Knight headed across to Mersey, where Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Richard Hewitt briefed them on the latest challenges they’ll face in the second half of 2016.

Mersey’s focus has largely been drug-busting duties, mixed with visiting British territories in the region and generally flying the flag for the UK in the Americas and Caribbean.

All of which Wave Knight – 18 times bigger than Mersey – will be expected to do, plus wade in to provide humanitarian aid (hurricane season has now begun) should communities be stricken by natural disaster.
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... ave-knight

Visited the Dominican Republic:


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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

Wave Knights in shining armour as tanker crew help out in Anguilla
With the Caribbean still largely devoid of tropical storms – despite the advent of hurricane season – the disaster relief team aboard RFA Wave Knight have continued community work on their island-hopping deployment.

Anguilla became the latest British Overseas Territory to benefit from voluntary efforts of the soldiers and marines especially embarked upon the tanker for humanitarian aid duties.

The W.I.S.E school, which provides an education for youngsters aged 12-17 who would otherwise struggle academically, needed some considerable TLC.

The tanker team set aside two days to install fans in classrooms – there’s no air conditioning in the building – removed a dangerous bannister leading to the main entrance, fitted catches to the wooden shutters on windows to prevent them slamming shut continuously and finally painted the walls, floors and ceilings, helped at times by some of the students.
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... n-anguilla

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shark bait
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

We have a very busy RFA at the moment.

All of our tankers are abroad a present, as are Fort Victoria and Austin, and we know all the bay class is active, all the signs point to a very busy RFA, with most of their ships out an about.

Clearly keeping Diligence and accepting the new Tides was a stretch to far.
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GibMariner
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

shark bait wrote:All of our tankers are abroad a present, as are Fort Victoria and Austin, and we know all the bay class is active, all the signs point to a very busy RFA, with most of their ships out an about.

Clearly keeping Diligence and accepting the new Tides was a stretch to far.
I think Wave Ruler is at home, as are Fort Rosalie & Argus. Cardigan Bay returned to Falmouth last month for refit/maintenance at the A&P yard.

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shark bait
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

Thank you, I am a bit behind then, she is in Portland, Fort Victoria replaced her supporting Kippon in June
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

Wave Knight visits volcano-hit Caribbean island
Cadet Phillip Corner, RFA Wave Knight’s CO Capt Nigel Budd and Roderick Stewart, director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory pose against the backdrop of the island’s most stunning – and deadly – natural feature: Soufrière Hills.

The observatory was one port of call for a team from the tanker as she dropped anchor off Montserrat on the latest stage of her Caribbean patrol.

Wave Knight is in the region to assist Britain’s overseas territories – or any other national or island for that matter – in the event of a national disaster.

At this time of year, that ordinarily means tropical storms – although as of the end of August, thankfully any hurricanes had largely skirted the West Indies – so Wave Knight’s specially-embarked disaster relief team gave Montserrat authorities an insight into the help the ship could provide in an emergency.

Thanks to the threat posed by Soufrière Hills (presently at its least active state), Montserrat’s disaster management organisation is very much on the ball.
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... ean-island

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

RFA Wave Knight has also visited Anguilla, Dominica, Martinique


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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

Meanwhile, Wave Ruler has been taking part in deck landing training for 824 NAS:

Merlin rules the waves with deck landing training
Engineers and Aircrew from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose’s Merlin training Squadron took to the high seas recently to complete the embarked section, of their Operational Conversion Phase (OCP) training.

Eight trainee aviators along with their flying instructors as well as 20 air engineers from 824 Naval Air Squadron were embarked for a fortnight in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Ruler, to carry out their first deck landings and secondary roles training.
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http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... -the-waves

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by GibMariner »

Reports of Royal Navy drug bust in the Caribbean:




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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

SKB wrote:Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Is the classification "fleet tanker" correct if they can't keep up with a (carrier) task force?

Is it more likely that they will become "rovers" - meeting up with the numerous singletons we are in the habit of deploying?
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by Ron5 »

How fast do you think an RN task force goes?

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shark bait
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

Isn't it accepted the standard speed of the group will be around 18 knots?

Highly likely the waves will exist to service singletons, with the Tide class being specifically designed to support the QE class.
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

shark bait wrote:Highly likely the waves will exist to service singletons, with the Tide class being specifically designed to support the QE class.
Sort of my point, so aside from Heavy RAS'sing, are there other essential differences?
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: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:Sort of my point, so aside from Heavy RAS'sing, are there other essential differences?
Neither have the Heavy RAS rigs, that will be fitted first to the solid support ships. The difference is in the location of the rigs.

The Wave Class have 2 RAS rigs on the port side to line up with reception points on the Invincibles, which were on the starboard side.

The opposite is true for the QE classe because they receive solids through the lifts on the starboard side, and liquids through points on the port side.

That means the tides also have the opposite, 2 rigs starboard side which line up exactly with the points on QE.

Both classes also have another sing rig on the other-side to replenish a frigate or destroyer at the same time. Both classes also have a stern rig to refuel vessels without RAS receiving points, or to transfer fuel ashore.
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

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Royal Marines sniper brings six-hour drugs chase to end as Wave Knight delivers £40m blow to traffickers

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More than a dozen rounds of precisely-aimed sniper fire across the bow of a go-fast speedboat as a dramatic six-hour chase across the Caribbean reaches its climax – and more than £40m of cocaine never reaches its destination.

Fourteen bales of illegal drugs were captured in a combined operation by the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and US Coast Guard in waters between Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

A Royal Marines sniper in the back of a Lynx helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron first fired warning shots ahead of the gofast calling on the traffickers to stop and then, when ignored those shots, took out the speedboat’s enginesbringing it to a halt.

A specialist team of US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment then boarded the suspect craft and recovered 14 bales of what they believed were illegal narcotics; subsequent tests revealed it to be 350kg cocaine with a wholesale value in the UK of around £14m.

Before the boarding team reached the vessel, the crew were observed ditching several bales overboard; US authorities assessed that 650kg of cocaine worth around £26m was discarded, while the go-fast itself subsequently sank.

The successful bust was sparked by a maritime patrol aircraft sighting the go-fast and directing RFA Wave Knight to intercept. She responded by bearing down on the speedboat – and launching her helicopter, which no boat could outrun.

The tanker, based in Portland in Dorset, is assigned to Operation Martillo, the international drugs-busting effort across the Caribbean.

The five crew of the go-fast plus the haul of drugs were later transferred to the US Coast Guard cutter Richard Etheridge and handed over to authorities in Miami Beach.

“This seizure highlights how effectively the U.S Coast Guard and our Allied partners are working together to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that depend on the flow of illicit drugs from South America into the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe," said Captain Nigel Budd RFA, Wave Knight’s Commanding Officer.
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... drugs-bust

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by shark bait »

Excellent work, makes me wonder how the river class without proper aviation support will ever be as successful in the role.

Kinda dumb when our tankers are more capable patrol boats than out patrol boats.
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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

Wave class with 18kt top speed has nothing wrong to follow with the CVFs, I think.

US Navy's CV's top speed is 30+kt, while there tanker Kaiser class has a speed of 20 kt. Yes they have (only) 3 AOE, with 25kt, but any way they are more than 5 knots slower than the CV.

Therefore having a 18kt tanker for only 25kt CVF is no problem. From the same reason, LPDs and Bays are all designed to have ~18kt top speed.

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by marktigger »

shark bait wrote:Excellent work, makes me wonder how the river class without proper aviation support will ever be as successful in the role.

Kinda dumb when our tankers are more capable patrol boats than out patrol boats.
or maybe our patrol boats and our tankers are being used for roles they weren't intended for ?

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

donald_of_tokyo wrote: From the same reason, LPDs and Bays are all designed to have ~18kt top speed.

SB & Donald, thanks for the good detail! I had totally forgotten about the status with Heavy RAS... even written false notes about the tankers held back in Korea.

The quote above , though, does not recognise the fact that LPDs and Bays were not designed to fit in with (or require [RN] carriers) to do what was to be done.
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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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by Ron5 »

Pretty sure RN fleet speed is 16 knots. Happy to be proven wrong.

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by zanahoria »

I didn't know Harry was on board! From the Telegraph:

Royal Yacht it is not: Prince Harry to sleep on tanker vessel during Caribbean tour

Gordon Rayner Christopher Hope
14 NOVEMBER 2016 • 9:00 PM
Prince Harry will live on a tanker ship during much of his forthcoming Caribbean tour, providing the starkest illustration to date of the need for a new Royal Yacht.

The Prince, 32, will spend 14 days visiting seven countries on behalf of the Queen, travelling between island nations on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight.

He will spend a total of six nights sleeping on the vessel, which will make voyages of up to 20 hours at a time as it takes him to Commonwealth nations including Barbados, St Lucia and Grenada.

But the Prince will not be able to invite guests on board - as members of the Royal family used to when staying on the Royal Yacht Britannia - because “the ship is a working naval vessel”, Kensington Palace said.

Rest of article:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegr ... ent=safari

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Re: Wave Class Tanker (RFA)

Post by dmereifield »

Technical fault spoils Harry's plans....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11 ... ip-breaks/

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