Fort Class One Stop Replenishment Ships

Envisaged as a class of six vessels, the Fort Class were designed to support a permanent task force of three anti-submarine Duke Class Frigates stationed in the North Atlantic undertaking Cold War operations by supplying fuel, stores, ammunition and food in one single operation- hence they are known as 'one stop replenishment ships'. At the time the Fort Class was undergoing development it was thought the Type 23 would be a lightly armed, cost effective vessel without high tech, sophisticated equipment. It was therefore planned to arm the Fort Class with vertical launch Sea Wolf SAM (surface-to-air missile) silos so they could defend themselves, and if necessary defend the frigates. It was also deemed necessary for them to operate independently and they were therefore designed to have minimal radar and acoustic signatures. However the end of the Cold War led to a change in requirements and as a consequence only two of the six vessels were completed. Meanwhile the Type 23 Frigate had emerged as a much more sophisticated (and costly) vessel than originally intended, so Fort Victoria and Fort George were not armed with the expensive Sea Wolf missile system. they were designed to operate

Both Harland & Wolff and Swan Hunter bid for the contract for the first vessel, Fort Victoria, and the order was placed with Harland and Wolff on 24th April 1986. Fort George was ordered from Swan Hunter on December 18th the following year. The construction of Fort Victoria caused considerable controversy, as her cost increased from envisaged £127 million to £190 million. Furthurmore, she was delivered three years behind schedule- her original in service date was 1990 but various problems meant she was not accepted into service until 1993.

In 1998 Fort Victoria was refitted with a Phalanx weapons system on her bridge roof at Rosyth dockyard making her perhaps the most potently armed Auxiliary in service. Both vessels are due to have medical support facilities upgraded as part of their pre-scheduled maintenance periods: Fort George in 2001 and Fort Victoria in 2002.

Officially classified as Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels (AORs) these vessels can carry 12,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, 1,000 tonnes of aviation fuel and 6,000 tonnes of munitions, dry stores and refrigerated cargo. For replenishment at sea there are four rigs amidships and one additional refueling rig at the stern of the vessel. They are capable of supporting 5 Sea King Helicopters and have full maintenance facilities. As a result they are occasionally used for helicopter training and are seen as "force multipliers"- in effect, mini aircraft carriers. Fort George put this ability to good use when she was deployed to flood stricken Mozambique in 1999 with five Sea King helicopters from HMS Illustrious.

Powered by Crossley-Pielstick engines, Fort Victoria and Fort George have a maximum speed of 22 knots. They displace 32,500 tonnes and are 203.5 metres long with a breadth of 30.3 metres and a draught of 9.7 metres. They have a complement of 95 personnel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, with additional 15 from the Royal Navy and 24 from the Royal Naval Stores and Transport Service (RNSTS). When aircraft are embarked they can also carry 154 Air Squadron Personnel.

Ship Details:

Above: Fort George. Note the orange lifeboats and the large flight deck. © Crown Copyright.

Ship Histories:

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© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. Last updated 3rd September 2000. Disclaimer.