.gif)
RFA Wave Knight (A389)
Encyclopedia
RFA Wave Knight is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(RFA) of the United Kingdom
tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy
vessels around the world.
Wave Knight was built by VSEL (after 1999, BAE Systems Marine
), being launched in 2000. She was accepted into service in 2003 and is the 2nd ship to bear this name in RFA service. Wave Knight and her sister Wave Ruler
replaced the elderly Olna
and Olwen
, two Ol-class 36,000 ton fast fleet tankers built at Swan Hunter
and Hawthorn Leslie respectively in the 1960s. She is currently commanded by Captain Vernon B. Ramsay-Smith, RFA.
personnel with provision for a further 22 Royal Navy personnel to conduct helicopter and weapons systems operations. She carries a full medical team and sick bay and is capable of distributing 2,000 emergency relief packages in times of crisis.
The ship has the capability to supply fuel and other liquid cargo to vessels using replenishment
rigs on port and starboard beams and through a Hudson reel-type stern rig. When providing support for amphibious operations, Wave Ruler is also able to deliver fuel to dracones
positioned alongside. In addition to fuel, the ship carries ammunition and other stores which can be transferred while underway. She can operate a Merlin HM1
helicopter, or other helicopters of similar size, from a hangar and flight deck at the stern.
provided assistance to the stricken Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi
, which ran into difficulties 100 miles (160 km) north-west of County Mayo
, Ireland
after 2,000 litres of seawater entered the vessel due to hatches being left open in the fin. Three of the Chicoutimi's crew were airlifted to hospital in Ireland, one dying en route.
where she acted as Arabian Gulf Ready Tanker (AGRT) in support of Allied forces, providing fuel and supplies to ships from over 8 nations
On 18 April 2009, Royal Navy personnel operating from Wave Knight in the Gulf of Aden
managed to intercept and fend off two pirate attacks involving the vessels and using the ship's armament. At 0800 the ship received a distress call from MV Handy Tankers Magic indicating that they were under attack by pirates and requesting assistance. Arriving on the scene, Wave Knight gave chase to the pirate skiff
and using its weapons as cover, held it and it's 'mother boat' until the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS De Zeven Provincien
arrived. 13 hostages were released and the pirate's weapons were destroyed. Within two hours another distress call was received by Wave Knight from the vessel MV Front Ardennes, also under attack by pirates. Arriving to give support, the ship prevented the pirates from boarding the tanker, firing warning shots and causing the pirates to flee. With helcopters from the NATO task group ships HMCS Winnipeg
and USS Halyburton
, Wave Knight gave chase for 6 hours, until the HMCS Winnepeg arrived, disarming the pirates.
The Commanding Officer of Wave Knight, Captain Pilling, said:
On 23 October 2009, personnel aboard Wave Knight witnessed the kidnapping by Somali pirates
of two British citizens, Paul and Rachel Chandler, from the yacht Lynn Rival. Despite coming to within 15 m of the couple's vessel, they did not intervene for fear of endangering their lives. When giving a speech at Chatham House
on 27 November 2009, First Sea Lord
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
made his position on the crew's conduct clear, stating that "They do not appreciate, and I do not like them, being branded cowards".
In 2009/2010 the ship underwent a re-fit in Liverpool. As of February 2011 she was back in service.
and joined the COUGAR 11 deployment, the first of the Response Force Task Group
deployments, where she is acting as a supply/support ship. The deployment also saw her take part in Exercise Cypriot Lion, off the coast of Cyprus
.
3 June 2011 saw Wave Knight and the vessels HMS Albion
, HMS Sutherland
and RFA Fort Rosalie
, ordered to break away from the COUGAR 11 deployment and head to the coast of Libya
to take part in Operation Unified Protector
, the ongoing NATO operation there. By late June the vessels were back on the RFTG tasking, and after passing through the Suez Canal
began Operation Red Alligator, a major exercise in the Red Sea
with the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
(RFA) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
vessels around the world.
Wave Knight was built by VSEL (after 1999, BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine
BAE Systems Marine Ltd. was the shipbuilding subsidiary of BAE Systems, formed in 1999, which manufactured the full range of naval ships; nuclear submarines, frigates, destroyers, amphibious ships....
), being launched in 2000. She was accepted into service in 2003 and is the 2nd ship to bear this name in RFA service. Wave Knight and her sister Wave Ruler
RFA Wave Ruler (A390)
RFA Wave Ruler is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world....
replaced the elderly Olna
RFA Olna (A123)
RFA Olna was an Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Her design was a development of the Tide-class ships of the late 1950s.-Service history:...
and Olwen
RFA Olwen (A122)
RFA Olwen was an Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.The lead ship of her class, and launched in 1964 as RFA Olynthus, the second ship to bear this name, she was renamed Olwen in 1967 to avoid confusion with HMS Olympus...
, two Ol-class 36,000 ton fast fleet tankers built at Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
and Hawthorn Leslie respectively in the 1960s. She is currently commanded by Captain Vernon B. Ramsay-Smith, RFA.
Design
Wave Knight has a standard crew of 80 Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
personnel with provision for a further 22 Royal Navy personnel to conduct helicopter and weapons systems operations. She carries a full medical team and sick bay and is capable of distributing 2,000 emergency relief packages in times of crisis.
The ship has the capability to supply fuel and other liquid cargo to vessels using replenishment
Underway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
rigs on port and starboard beams and through a Hudson reel-type stern rig. When providing support for amphibious operations, Wave Ruler is also able to deliver fuel to dracones
Dracone Barge
A Dracone Barge is a large flexible watertight tube intended to carry a liquid cargo while towed mostly-submerged behind a ship. One large current example of the type has a capacity of 935 cubic metres while weighing only 6.5 tonnes empty.The Dracone Barge was invented in 1956 by Professor William...
positioned alongside. In addition to fuel, the ship carries ammunition and other stores which can be transferred while underway. She can operate a Merlin HM1
AgustaWestland EH101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter for military applications but also marketed for civil use. The helicopter was developed as a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the UK and Agusta in Italy...
helicopter, or other helicopters of similar size, from a hangar and flight deck at the stern.
2000-2007
In October 2004, Wave Knight and the frigate HMS MontroseHMS Montrose (F236)
The second and current HMS Montrose is the eighth of a sixteen ship class of frigates, known as Type 23 or the 'Duke' class, of the Royal Navy. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde...
provided assistance to the stricken Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi
HMCS Chicoutimi (SSK 879)
HMCS Chicoutimi is a Victoria-class long-range hunter-killer submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy, originally built and operated by the Royal Navy as HMS Upholder....
, which ran into difficulties 100 miles (160 km) north-west of County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
after 2,000 litres of seawater entered the vessel due to hatches being left open in the fin. Three of the Chicoutimi's crew were airlifted to hospital in Ireland, one dying en route.
2008-2010
During 2008 and 2009, Wave Knight was deployed to the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
where she acted as Arabian Gulf Ready Tanker (AGRT) in support of Allied forces, providing fuel and supplies to ships from over 8 nations
On 18 April 2009, Royal Navy personnel operating from Wave Knight in the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
managed to intercept and fend off two pirate attacks involving the vessels and using the ship's armament. At 0800 the ship received a distress call from MV Handy Tankers Magic indicating that they were under attack by pirates and requesting assistance. Arriving on the scene, Wave Knight gave chase to the pirate skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
and using its weapons as cover, held it and it's 'mother boat' until the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS De Zeven Provincien
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802)
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën is the first ship of the De Zeven Provinciën class air defence and command frigates in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy...
arrived. 13 hostages were released and the pirate's weapons were destroyed. Within two hours another distress call was received by Wave Knight from the vessel MV Front Ardennes, also under attack by pirates. Arriving to give support, the ship prevented the pirates from boarding the tanker, firing warning shots and causing the pirates to flee. With helcopters from the NATO task group ships HMCS Winnipeg
HMCS Winnipeg (FFH 338)
HMCS Winnipeg is a that has served in the Canadian Forces Maritime Command since 1996. She is a guided-missile frigate that also carries a multipurpose helicopter [but especially for anti-submarine warfare ]. Her missile armament includes Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Evolved Sea-Sparrow...
and USS Halyburton
USS Halyburton (FFG-40)
USS Halyburton , an , is a ship of the United States Navy named for Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr....
, Wave Knight gave chase for 6 hours, until the HMCS Winnepeg arrived, disarming the pirates.
The Commanding Officer of Wave Knight, Captain Pilling, said:
On 23 October 2009, personnel aboard Wave Knight witnessed the kidnapping by Somali pirates
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
of two British citizens, Paul and Rachel Chandler, from the yacht Lynn Rival. Despite coming to within 15 m of the couple's vessel, they did not intervene for fear of endangering their lives. When giving a speech at Chatham House
Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
on 27 November 2009, First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
Mark Stanhope
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, GCB, OBE is the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom, thus the professional head of the Royal Navy.-Early life:...
made his position on the crew's conduct clear, stating that "They do not appreciate, and I do not like them, being branded cowards".
In 2009/2010 the ship underwent a re-fit in Liverpool. As of February 2011 she was back in service.
2011
On 25 April 2011, Wave Knight left PortlandIsle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
and joined the COUGAR 11 deployment, the first of the Response Force Task Group
Response Force Task Group
The Response Force Task Group is a new initiative announced in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review and is the heart of the UK’s maritime contingent capability, held at very high readiness to respond to unexpected global events...
deployments, where she is acting as a supply/support ship. The deployment also saw her take part in Exercise Cypriot Lion, off the coast of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
3 June 2011 saw Wave Knight and the vessels HMS Albion
HMS Albion (L14)
HMS Albion is a Landing Platform Dock of the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class. Built by BAE Systems Marine in Barrow-in-Furness, Albion was launched in March 2001 by the Princess Royal...
, HMS Sutherland
HMS Sutherland (F81)
HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the thirteenth ship in the Duke class of frigates and is the third ship to bear the name, more than 200 years since the name was last used....
and RFA Fort Rosalie
RFA Fort Rosalie (A385)
RFA Fort Rosalie is a fleet stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Fort Rosalie was originally named RFA Fort Grange, but was renamed in May 2000 to avoid confusion with RFA Fort George, a change which was not universally popular.-History:Fort Rosalie was laid down in 1973, by Scott Lithgow on...
, ordered to break away from the COUGAR 11 deployment and head to the coast of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
to take part in Operation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector was an NATO operation enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the 2011 Libyan civil war and adopted on 17 February and 17 March respectively...
, the ongoing NATO operation there. By late June the vessels were back on the RFTG tasking, and after passing through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
began Operation Red Alligator, a major exercise in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
with the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
Affliations
Wave Knight is affiliated with the following military and civilian organisations, bodies & individuals:- Sea CadetSea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)The Sea Cadet Corps is a UK national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Navy and open to young people between the ages of 10-18 years old. The SCC is the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers...
unit TS Fairmaid - The Worshipful Company of FuellersWorshipful Company of FuellersThe Worshipful Company of Fuellers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It is now associated with the whole energy sector, but has its roots in coal: the Fuellers, or coal traders, were originally members of the Woodmongers' Company, which became defunct in the eighteenth century....
- No. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1, KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.- History :216 Squadron was formed at RAF Manston by re-numbering No. 16 Squadron RNAS when the RAF was established in 1918, hence it is always spoken of as 'two-sixteen Squadron'...
- Lady Catherine Guthrie (sponsor).
External links
- Official Wave Knight page at the Royal Navy's website
- http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101001110155/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/royal-fleet-auxiliary/rfa-flotilla/fast-fleet-tankers/rfa-wave-knight/news/afghan-veterans-provide-carrier-strikePhotos of Wave Knight refuelling the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R07)HMS Ark Royal (R07)HMS Ark Royal is a decommissioned light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible-class...
] - Lynx Helicopter landing on Wave Knight at sea