WORLD OF WARSHIPS ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY FLEET SOLID SUPPORT SHIPS

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A fleet solid support ship is a type of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship designed to supply solids (otherwise known as dry stores), such as ammunition, explosives and food, to Royal Navy ships at sea. The term can also refer to the programme to replace the RFA's existing solid support ships, the Fleet Solid Support Ship Programme

Fort Victoria classThe Royal Fleet Auxiliary currently operates one solid support ship of the , RFA Fort Victoria.

As of 2021, the former Fort Rosalie class replenishment ships (Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie) have been retired and only Fort Victoria has undergone refit to enable her to supply the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers with solid stores. With incompatible rigs, Fort Rosalie and Fort Austin were placed in extended readiness and were later sold to Egypt. A programme to replace these ships, named the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS), commenced in 2017, but was delayed in 2019. In May 2021, the competition was restarted with the aim of selecting a design within two years

With the introduction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, a new class of solid support ship will be required to replace the existing ageing and incompatible Fort class. The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 confirmed that three new large solid support ships would be acquired for the RFA as part of the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme. Rear Admiral Paul Marshall was appointed its Senior Responsible Officer in February 2019. The ships requirement are for a total cargo capacity of up to 7,000 m3 (250,000 cu ft), the ability to travel at a sustained speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) without resupply, the capability of delivering non-bulk logistic material whilst underway at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and transfer single loads of up to 5 tonnes (4.9 long tons; 5.5 short tons)

In May 2021 the competition to build the ships was relaunched with the aim of taking a decision within two years.In July 2022, Rear-Admiral Paul Marshall, the Senior Responsible Officer for the Fleet Solid Support ship project, told the House of Commons Select Defence Committee that the first ship was envisaged for service entry in 2028 with the third entering service by 2032.[21] In November 2022 it was announced that Team Resolute (BMT, Harland & Wolff and Navantia) had been selected to build the ships with the start of construction anticipated in 2025. [22] The manufacturing contract, with a value of 1.6 billion pounds, was signed in January 2023.

The Team Resolute design envisages a vessel about 216 metres (708 ft 8 in) in length with three replenishment-at-sea rigs and possessing about 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft) of cargo space. The ship hangars will have the capacity to support two Merlin helicopters as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. Vessel speed is envisaged at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)