Two new British support ships named at Appledore

The second and third ships in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s new Fleet Solid Support programme will be named RFA Reliant and RFA Resourceful, with the names revealed as the keel was laid for first-of-class RFA Resurgent at Appledore in North Devon, the Royal Navy has said.

The three ships are being built to provide ammunition, stores and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels at sea, including the UK’s aircraft carriers. Sections of the vessels are being constructed at Navantia facilities in Appledore and Cadiz, as well as in Belfast, before being transported to Harland & Wolff’s Belfast facility for final integration.

Commodore Sam Shattock, head of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, announced the names of the remaining two ships during the keel-laying ceremony for RFA Resurgent, which took place on Merchant Navy Day.

He said: “Today represents the moment when vision becomes reality, when plans and drawings come to life, effectively becoming the ship’s birthday.”

On the name of the first vessel, he added: “RFA Resurgent’s name speaks of renewal, resilience and the ability recover stronger from challenge.”

“Those qualities are reflected not only in the ship itself, but also in the people who will design, build, support and ultimately sail her.”

As part of the keel-laying ceremony, a coin was welded to the keel of RFA Resurgent by a Navantia UK apprentice, continuing a shipbuilding tradition marking the formal start of construction.

Each Fleet Solid Support ship will have a core RFA crew of 101, with accommodation for a further 80 personnel when required. Those additional personnel could include teams operating helicopters and boats or carrying out other specialist roles.

The vessels are intended to replenish Royal Navy ships with munitions, supplies and provisions while at sea. The Royal Navy says they will also be able to support wider operational activity, including counter-piracy and counter-terrorism missions and operations alongside allied forces.

The design also includes energy-efficient technologies intended to reduce power consumption. The ships are being built with the ability to use low-carbon, non-fossil fuels and future sustainable energy sources, with the Royal Navy saying the design is intended to allow the vessels to achieve Carbon Zero status by the end of their planned 30-year operational lives.

RFA Resurgent revives a name previously carried by a merchant vessel converted into a fleet replenishment ship in 1957. That ship remained in service until 1979 and supported a Joint Services scientific expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1975.

The name RFA Reliant has previously been used by three vessels, including stores and air stores support ships and a helicopter support ship. The most recent Reliant was a merchant vessel taken into naval service in 1983 and used during the multinational deployment to Lebanon in 1984, including during evacuation operations. She was sold in 1986 after being replaced in the helicopter support role by RFA Argus.

RFA Resourceful is a new name for the RFA, selected to follow the adjective-based naming convention of the class. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary previously operated an armament stores ship named RFA Resource, which served between 1966 and 1997 and received battle honours for the Falklands and Kuwait.

The Fleet Solid Support programme is also intended to support investment in UK shipyards, apprenticeships, skilled employment and domestic supply chains, while combining work in Britain with construction and expertise from Navantia’s Spanish facilities.