The Round Table class is a ship class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of Landing Ship Logistics

Landing Ship Logistics

The Landing Ship Logistic is a term used by the United Kingdom armed forces to describe the Round Table class landing ship used for support of amphibious warfare missions. These ships are operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary...

 (LSL), also known as the "Sir" class, are designed for amphibious warfare missions, in support of the major amphibious ships. They have both bow and stern doors leading onto the main vehicle deck, making them roll-on/roll-off, combined with ramps that lead to upper and lower vehicle decks. Thanks to their shallow draft, they can beach themselves and use the bow doors for speedy unloading of troops and equipment. The ships also have landing pads for helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

s on both the upper vehicle deck and behind the superstructure.

One vessel, Sir Galahad

RFA Sir Galahad (1966)

RFA Sir Galahad was a Round Table class landing ship logistics vessel belonging to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was first managed for the British Army by the British-India Steam Navigation Company, before being transferred in 1970 to the RFA, part of the British fleet, .-Design and...

, was lost during the Falklands War

Falklands War

The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

, while another, Sir Tristram

RFA Sir Tristram (L3505)

RFA Sir Tristram is a Landing Ship Logistics of the Round Table class. She was launched in 1966, and accepted into British Army service in 1967. As with others of her class, she was transferred to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1970...

, was badly damaged. The former was replaced by a new vessel of the same name, while the latter was rebuilt and returned to service. All of the vessels in this class were replaced by the new Bay class

Bay class landing ship dock (auxiliary)

The Bay class is a ship class of four Dock landing ships built for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary during the 2000s. Based on the Dutch-Spanish Royal Schelde Enforcer design and intended as a replacement for the Round Table class logistics ships, two ships each were ordered from Swan Hunter and...

, the last serving vessel being Sir Bedivere

RFA Sir Bedivere (L3004)

RFA Sir Bedivere was a Landing Ship Logistic of the Round Table class. She saw service in the Falklands War, the Persian Gulf and Sierra Leone. In 2009 she was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy, and renamed NDCC Almirante Saboia -History:The ship was originally built for army service, and...

, which was decommissioned in 2008. The Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

's Landing Ship Heavy HMAS Tobruk is based on the Round Table design.