RFA Fort Rosalie (A385)

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RFA Fort Rosalie at HMNB Plymouth Navy Days, Saturday August 26, 2006.
Career RFA Ensign
Ordered: November 1971
Builder: Scott Lithgow
Laid down: 9 November 1973
Launched: 9 December 1976
Commissioned: 6 April 1978
Refit: 20 May 2008
Fate: Active in service as of 2008
General characteristics
Class and type: Fort Rosalie-class replenishment ship
Displacement: 23,384 tons
Length: 185.1 m (607 ft 3 in)
Beam: 24 m (78 ft 9 in)
Draught: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Speed: 22 knots (40.7 km/h)
Complement: 114 RFA
36 RNSTS
additional 45 RN Air Squadron personnel
Armament: 2 × 20 mm GAM-BO1
4 × 7.62 mm GPMGs
Service record
Operations Falklands War
Yugoslav wars

RFA Fort Rosalie (A385) 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.

The ship was laid down in 1973, by Scott Lithgow on the River Clyde, launched in 1976 and commissioned the next year. The ship saw its first war service during the Falklands War, and also supported British forces in Balkans alongside at the port of Split from 1997-2000. Fort Rosalie also oversaw repairs to HMS Tireless at Gibraltar later in 2000. She is affiliated to Tamworth and Lichfield Sea Cadets under her former name, Fort Grange.

Fort Rosalie attended the HMNB Devonport Navy Days in August 2006, representing the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. HMS Albion (L14) was berthed astern.

As of May 2008, the ship is being refitted at a cost of £28 million by Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders based in Birkenhead's Cammell Laird yard[1][2].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shipyard wins new naval contract. BBC Website. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  2. ^ Fort Rosalie In Refit. Royal Navy Website. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  • Adams/Smith (2005). The Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 10:1861762593.