RFA Fort Victoria completes maintenance survey
Cammell Laird has completed a maintenance check on Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel Fort Victoria at its dry dock facility in Birkenhead.
The 30-year special survey involved inspections and maintenance of the vessel’s engines, propulsion systems, steering equipment and side valves. A new hangar crane was fitted along with an upgraded remote-control ballast valve operation.
John Kennedy, Ministry of Defence programme director at Cammell Laird, said: ‘Managing the available space on board RFA Fort Victoria was a particularly challenging aspect of this refit as we were turning an already congested space into a major workplace willed with heavy lifting equipment, specialised tooling and skilled tradespeople. As a result, we needed to move a large number of ancillary items to a safe stowage area before work could commence.’
The contract which allowed Cammell Laird to carry out the work was awarded in January 2018 and includes two 10-year through life support programmes.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls]()
How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls
Ageing Baltic vessels and an absence of active minehunting vessel programmes in the region have been put under the spotlight in the recent conflict.
-
![“We must end the mentality of ever larger platforms”: Why USVs are scaling]()
“We must end the mentality of ever larger platforms”: Why USVs are scaling
Multiple USV programme milestones announced last week, aligned with a reinforcement of the Royal Navy’s vision for a hybrid fleet, point to innovation-led ambition but also to a structural calculation with resource ceilings that neither London nor Washington can ignore.
-
![As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging]()
As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging
Research programmes and system procurement efforts to counter uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle threats are accelerating as naval drone uptake spreads.
-
![US Coast Guard to receive the first three Offshore Patrol Cutters in FY2026 and FY2027]()
US Coast Guard to receive the first three Offshore Patrol Cutters in FY2026 and FY2027
After recording a nearly six-year delay in the OPC schedule, the USCG intends to advance with the programme, reaching multiple milestones in the short term.
