RFA Gold Rover

	RFA Gold Rover
History
United Kingdom
Name	RFA Gold Rover
Ordered	November 1971
Builder	Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Launched	7 March 1973
In service	22 March 1974
Out of service	6 March 2017
Homeport	London
Identification	IMO number: 7306221; MMSI number: 232502000; Callsign: GRET; Pennant number: A271; Flight deck: GV;
Fate	Scrapped (completely dismantled: 2 December 2019)
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Rover-class tanker
Tonnage	7,574 GRT; 3,256 NRT; 6,799 DWT;
Displacement	11,520 tons full load
Length	461 ft 4 in (140.61 m)
Beam	63 ft 2 in (19.25 m)
Draught	24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
Depth	33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
Propulsion	2 × SEMT-Pielstick 16 PA 4 diesel engines (post 1974); 15,360 hp (11,450 kW); 1 × shaft; Bow thruster;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	15,000 miles (24,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Endurance	8,000 nautical miles
Capacity	7,460 m3 (46,900 bbl) fuel oil; 600 tons aviation fuel; 70 tons lubricating oil ; 362 m3 (80,000 imp gal) fresh water;
Complement	16 officers; 31 ratings;
Sensors and ; processing systems	Sperry Marine Visionmaster radars and ECDIS; 1690 I band navigation radars;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	2 × Corvus and 2 × Plessey Shield decoy launchers; Graseby Type 182 towed torpedo decoy;
Armament	2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon; 2 × 7.62 mm machine guns;
Aircraft carried	one flight spot for a Merlin can take a Chinook
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck (no hangar)

RFA Gold Rover (A271)was a Rover-class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and one of five^[1] ships that were designed by the Admiralty, all of which were built at the Swan Hunter shipyard.

Gold Rover and her sister Black Rover were the last two in service with the RFA^[2] on duty around the world. The class was phased out as part of a worldwide effort to replace single-hulled tankers with more environmentally safe double-hulled vessels.^[3] Gold Rover herself was decommissioned in a sunset ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base on 6 March 2017.^[4]

Characteristics

Ships of the Rover class were predominantly used to transport fuel, oil, and aviation fuel for services around the globe; they could also carry limited dried stores of 340 tonnes (330 long tons; 370 short tons) such as munitions and refrigerated goods.^[5] They were built with a flight deck large enough to accommodate two helicopters, although no hangar was fitted.

Operational history

1974–1980

In July 1974, Gold Rover participated in evacuation duties during the partition of Cyprus during the Turkish invasion of the island.^[5]

1981–1990

Gold Rover was in Singapore at the time of the Falklands Conflict in 1982 and therefore took no part in the hostilities.

On 14 November 1984, Gold Rover sailed from Gibraltar on completion of refit, the last RFA to be refitted in HM Dockyard Gibraltar.^[6]

Gold Rover participated in the 1986 Jamaican flood relief operations.

On 1 December 1990, Gold Rover lost her rudder in severe weather in the South Atlantic and sent out a distress call. Some of her crew were airlifted off by a Royal Air Force Sea King helicopter of No. 78 Squadron and she managed to get to anchor seventeen miles (27 km) east of Lively island to ride out the storm before she was towed by the tug Oil Mariner to Montevideo for repairs. The crew of the Sea King rescue helicopter, captained by Flt Lt David Kerr-Sheppard, received various awards for outstanding flying skill in such difficult weather conditions.

1991–2000

In January 2000, she was towed back to Devonport by two RMAS tugs after breaking down off Lizard Point.

2001–2010

2006 was a busy year for Gold Rover. She was in Nigeria in June 2006 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the formation of the Nigerian Navy. As part of the celebrations there was a Fleet Review by President Olusegun Obasanjo.^[5] On 6 October she, along with Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll and Royal Marines from 40 Commando, seized more than two tonnes of cocaine during a major drugs haul off the coast of West Africa. The illegal drugs, which were found in an unregistered vessel, had a UK street value of some £60 million.

Gold Rover was part of a Royal Navy amphibious task group, the VELA Deployment 06, en route to Sierra Leone where she and other ships were taking part in a major amphibious exercise. Whilst on the way to West Africa Gold Rover was contributing to the global fight against terrorism and the Royal Navy's maritime security operations activity.

2011–2017

Gold Rover entered refit in the middle of 2013.^[7] Gold Rover departed her home port for her last operational deployment in 2014.^[8]

Between 12 and 16 October 2015 Gold Rover and HMS Lancaster participated the bicentennial anniversary commemorations of Napoleon's arrival on Saint Helena after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, and subsequent surrender to British forces.^[9]

In 2015, she participated in Operation UNITAS.^[10]

Gold Rover entered Portsmouth for the final time on 22 February 2017, bowing out after 43 years of active service.^[11] On 29 August 2017 the Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) invited expressions of interest from companies interested in receiving an invitation to tender with respect to the proposed sale for the sole purpose of recycling of the former RFA ship.

She was scrapped at Aliaga on 3 September 2019.^[12]