UK accepts RFA Tidespring after ten-month delay

After a ten-month delay, UK Ministry of Defence accepted the first Tide-class tanker, RFA Tidespring, from the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering on January 12, 2017.

Several technical issues, including wiring and electrical design, came together to delay the ship delivery.

The Tide-class tankers – RFA Tidespring, RFA Tiderace, RFA Tidesurge and RFA Tideforce – are 201 meters long, with a beam of nearly 29 metres and displacing more than 37,000 tonnes.

The second tanker in the class, RFA Tiderace, was named in a December 1 ceremony in South Korea.

RFA Tidespring is expected to arrive in the spring to undergo UK customisation and armament work and is expected to enter into service in the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary later this year. The remaining three vessels are set to be delivered to the UK by the end of 2018.