Duke of Edinburgh meets sailors and shipwrights during tour of RFA Tidesurge on Merseyside visit

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh met sailors and shipwrights working on RFA Tidesurge to thank them for their efforts while they work on one of the UK's largest military vessels.

The Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) was invited on board the tanker during a tour of Merseyside to see how her refit is progressing after taking part in extensive operations around the UK and North Atlantic.

The substantial refit is a routine but major overhaul carried out every five years to ensure the vessel is maintained to the highest standards and has the latest equipment, systems and software to support frontline operations.

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The refit includes 42 days in dry dock at the Balaena Mersey yard – formerly Cammell Laird – to clean and repaint the 201-metre-long hull, plus work on the propulsion system and bow thruster.

About 40 workers, including dockyard staff, contractors and RFA crew remain assigned to Tidesurge during the refit, carrying out about 1200 individual pieces of maintenance and 38 capability enhancements on the ship.

The work is due to be completed before Christmas, after which the ship's company will conduct trials and training before Tidesurge resumes her place in the RFA's order of battle.

The Duke, who has been the honorary head of the RFA for two decades, met both the ship's company and those supporting her overhaul on Merseyside.

Executive Chief Officer Christopher Lowe RFA said: "It was a pleasure to host His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in refit.

"It was a great opportunity for the ship's company to meet and speak with the Duke, and he thoroughly enjoyed his tour of our ship and spending time with the ship's company."

Tidesurge is one of two RFA vessels in the hands of the Birkenhead yard, alongside ammunition/general stores support ship RFA Fort Victoria, which is due to begin her refit before Christmas.

She is the third of four identical tankers/support vessels, second in size only to the Royal Navy's two aircraft carriers, that support frontline operations by refuelling UK and Nato warships.