Regent Class Armament Stores Ships

Ordered January 24th 1963, Regent and Resource were two armament stores vessels, designed to keep the fleet (particualarly the aircraft and commando carriers) supplied with missiles, bombs, depth charges, torpedoes and other weaponry. They could also carry some victulling stores. In design they were simailar to replenishment vessels, but the entire hold was devoted to dry stores and cargo and was temperature controlled. They were technically classified as ammunition, explosives, food stores ships (AEFS).

At 22,890 tons they measured 195.1 metres in length, 23.5 metres in breadth and 8 metres in druaght. Their complemnts consisted of 135 RFA, 37 RNSTS and 11 RN personel. Powered by two Foster Wheeler boilers they had a speed of 21 knots and wre armed with two 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. For many years they were the only RFA ships with a helicopter permanently embarked, but in April 1987 the Wessex 5 was withdrawn from service and they lost this facility.

Ship	Pennant No.	Deck Code	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned
Resource	A480	RS	Scotts, Greenock	July 19th 1964	February 11th 1966	May 6th 1967
Regent	A486	RG	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	September 4th 1964	September 3rd 1966	June 6th 1967

Ship	History
Resource	Served in Falklands Conflict under Captain B.A Seymour. Entered reserve at Rosyth in November 1991 but reactivated for service in the Adriatic. Operated at the Croatian port of Split supporting British forces in the Bosnia until 1994 when she returned to the UK for a refit. (see Recent Operations). On comepltion of refit, retuned to Split and was expected to return to the UK in 1996, but this was delayed until 1997. Sold in June 1997 to Electra Marine who named her ‘Resourceful’ and sailed to India for breaking up.
Regent	1974 evacuated British nationals from Cyprus. 1982 participated in Falklands Conflict under the command of Captain J. Logan. In 1991 Regent sailed with Ark Royal as part of task force designed to provide an allied presence in the Mediteranean during the Gulf War.

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