RFA Tiderace Returns To Sea After Five-Month Revamp

A Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker has returned to sea for trials following a five-month revamp on Merseyside.

RFA Tiderace departed from the Cruise Liner jetty in Liverpool to prepare for her renewed frontline duties supporting Royal Navy operations around the world.

The 39,000-tonne vessel spent five months undergoing maintenance at Cammell Laird shipbuilders.

Work included having the ship's 200-metre hull repainted and the sludge tanks being inspected.

Further work was also carried out in the Tranmere Basin and Canada Dock along the River Mersey, the Navy said.

All four of the ship's funnel exhausts were also changed and the firefighting system was enhanced among other improvements.

The final phase of the revamp involved using special paint to coat the flight deck of the tanker.

RFA Tiderace is one of four Tide-class vessels built to provide HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales and their carrier battle groups with fuel for the ships, F-35s and helicopters.

She is one of numerous RFA vessels being revamped as part of a 10-year, £619m contract to maintain, overhaul and refit the auxiliary flotilla.

Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to be operational next year and is currently undergoing flight trials with F-35Bs in UK waters.

Cover image: Royal Navy.