RFA Tidesurge replenishes US Navy destroyer
Royal Navy tanker RFA Tidesurge has replenished a US Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer in a first for the Tide class fleet.
The replenishment of the guided missile destroyer, USS Donald Cook, took place in the mid-Atlantic following the completion of Exercise Joint Warrior 19-2.
Tidesurge is currently deployed as part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group off the Eastern Seaboard of the US. During Exercise Joint Warrior 19-2 the vessel carried out anti-submarine and anti-surface training missions, before switching to operational tasking to support USS Donald Cook.
Flight Commander Lieutenant Tom Wallis said: ‘It is great to be able to show the flexibility of the Tide-class with an embarked Merlin Mk2, and the significant operational capability that this combination provides.
‘This is only possible through the dedication of the crew of RFA Tidesurge, 814 NAS, 1700 NAS and the Fleet Hydrographic and Meteorology Unit, and our ability to exercise and operate efficiently and at very high readiness.’
In addition to its supply duties in support of the Royal Navy, the Tide class also undertakes a wide range of maritime operations, such as constabulary patrols policing shipping lanes, humanitarian relief, as well as providing support to NATO and coalition allies.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies]()
Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies
A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
![Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America]()
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
