RFA Fort George revamp begins

As one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Oiler Replenishment vessels, RFA Fort George supports the Royal Navy’s fleet at sea providing fuel for the ship as well as munitions and other vital stores.

Commodore Dave Preston from the MOD Availability Afloat Support team added:

"These ships often serve very long periods at sea, so these docking periods are an opportunity to modernise and add new capabilities. The refit will upgrade the military communication systems and complete a major overhaul of the machinery and electrical equipment.

"Fort George will also undergo routine maintenance and inspection work, including coming into dry dock to paint the hull."

The work which is expected to be completed next year is being carried out by Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited (NSL) in Birkenhead, Wirral. The company's Managing Director John Syvret said:

"It is absolutely magnificent to see the RFA Fort George in the shipyard docked near the RFA Fort Rosalie which we are also restoring. The RFA Fort George contract will last for around six months employing up to 250 workers at any one time, which means that we will have up to 1000 people working in the shipyard this year."