The second-oldest vessel in the Naval Service, veteran tanker RFA Black Rover, a well known presence in the Falkland Islands, has completed her penultimate deployment, a marathon of 17 months in the Atlantic. No Royal Navy vessel can carry out a patrol in the Southern Hemisphere without the support of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker – a duty performed in recent years by a Rover-class vessel.
Just 7 months after the British Ministry of Defense ordered the system from Boeing Defense UK, footage released today, 22 June, shows ScanEagle taking flight from HMS Somerset in the Gulf.
British Labor MP Jim Dobbin has filed an early day motion calling on the House of Commons to condemn the actions of the Spanish Guardia Civil crew that led to “an armed stand-off” with Royal Navy vessels in Gibraltar waters last week.
A new generation of 37.000-tons tankers has been ordered for the Royal Navy fleet, the MoD announced Wednesday. The new Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers will maintain the Royal Navy’s ability to refuel at sea and will provide fuel to warships and task groups.