RFA Fort George (A388)

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RFA Fort George in the Firth of Clyde 2006
history
Commissioned: 18th December 1987
Keel laying: March 9, 1989
Launch: March 1, 1991
Commissioning: July 16, 1993
Decommissioning: planned April 2011
Home port: London
Data
Displacement: 36 580 ts
Length: 204 m
Width: 30.4 m
Draft: 9.75 m
Drive: 2 Crossley-Pielstick PC2 diesel engines with 23,580 hp each
Top speed: 21 knots
Range: 10,000 miles at 15 knots
Crew: 134 seamen, 154 aircrew
Armament: 2x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS guns
Airplanes: 5 helicopters of the types Merlin , Sea King or Sea Lynx

The RFA Fort George (A388) is one of two fleet supply ships of Fort Victoria class of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . It is used to support and supply ships of the British Navy on global missions.

history

The Fort George and her sister ship Fort Victoria were mid-1980s of the support ships for the time being planned frigates of the Duke class designed. The Fort George was commissioned in 1987 and laid down at Swan Hunter in 1989 . The commissioning took place in July 1994. The original plan was to equip the ship with Sea Wolf anti- aircraft missiles to protect the Duke- class ships , but in 1988 it was decided to install the system directly on the frigates and not on the support ships. Until the installation of two Phalanx CIWS anti-aircraft guns in 1999, Fort George had no on-board armament.

In February 2000, the ship was in the fleet of the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean in the Indian Ocean when Mozambique was hit by severe flooding. The Fort George supported with their helicopters to rescue flood victims and the provision of relief supplies. Following this mission, she supported HMS Ocean and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during Operation Palliser with the landing of British troops in Sierra Leone . In 2002 she secured supplies for British warships in the Indian Ocean as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan .

In 2004, the Fort George took part in several maneuvers off the coasts of Norway and the United States . On July 4th she took part in the celebrations for the American Independence Day in New York City together with the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible . The rest of the year the ship spent as a supply station for British units in the Mediterranean . In 2005 she was again in service in the Indian Ocean alongside the HMS Invincible .

construction

Since the Fort George was originally intended to support the Duke- class frigates in submarine hunting , special attention was paid to the fact that its propulsion system was particularly quiet during its construction. Stealth technology has also been integrated to a large extent in order to minimize the radar signature.

task

RFA Fort George in the Firth of Clyde

The main task of Fort George is to supply British warships with fuel and food on the open sea . It can supply two warships simultaneously. Due to its large flight deck, on which heavy Chinook transport helicopters can also be used, and the five helicopters carried, it is also used in amphibious landing operations . For this purpose it is also possible to take up to 200 additional soldiers from the Royal Marines on board.

literature

Web links