RFA Wave Knight (A389)

For other ships of the same name, see RFA Wave Knight.

RFA Wave Knight at anchor in Plymouth, 2006
Career (UK)
Name:	RFA Wave Knight
Operator:	Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Ordered:	12 March 1997
Builder:	VSEL BAE Systems Marine
Laid down:	22 October 1998
Launched:	29 September 2000
Commissioned:	08 April 2003
Identification:	Pennant number = A389
Status:	in active service, as of 2012
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Wave-class
Displacement:	31,500 tonnes approx
Length:	196.5 metres
Beam:	28.25 metres
Draft:	9.97 metres
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric: 4 x Wartsila 12V 32E/GECLM diesel generators 25,514 metric horsepower (18.76 MW) 2 x GEC Alstom motors with Cegelec Variable Speed Converters 19,040 metric horsepower (14 MW) 1 x shaft 18t thrust electric Kamewa bow thruster and 12t thrust electric stern thruster, Both Powered by Cegelec Variable Speed Drives and Motors
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h)
Range:	10,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity:	16,000 m3 of liquids (of which 3,000 m3 aviation fuel & 380 m3 fresh water) 125 tonnes of lubricating oil 500 m3 of solids 150 tonnes of fresh food in eight 20 ft refrigerated container units.
Complement:	80 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for 22 Royal Navy personnel for helicopter and weapons systems operations
Sensors and processing systems:	Surface search: E/F band Navigation: KH 1077, I-band IFF: Type 1017
Armament:	2 x DS30B 30 mm cannon 2 x 7.62mm Mk.44 Miniguns 5 x 7.62 mm L7 Machine Guns 2 x Vulcan Phalanx CIWS
Aircraft carried:	1 Merlin helicopter with full hangar facilities

RFA Wave Knight is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world.

Wave Knight was built by VSEL (after 1999, BAE Systems Marine), being launched in 2000. She was accepted into service in 2003 and is the 2nd ship to bear this name in RFA service. Wave Knight and her sister Wave Ruler replaced the elderly Olna and Olwen, two Ol-class 36,000 ton fast fleet tankers built at Swan Hunter and Hawthorn Leslie respectively in the 1960s. She is currently commanded by Captain Vernon B. Ramsay-Smith, RFA.

Design

Wave Knight has a standard crew of 80 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel with provision for a further 22 Royal Navy personnel to conduct helicopter and weapons systems operations. She carries a full medical team and sick bay and is capable of distributing 2,000 emergency relief packages in times of crisis.

The ship has the capability to supply fuel and other liquid cargo to vessels using replenishment rigs on port and starboard beams and through a Hudson reel-type stern rig. When providing support for amphibious operations, Wave Ruler is also able to deliver fuel to dracones positioned alongside. In addition to fuel, the ship carries ammunition and other stores which can be transferred while underway. She can operate a Merlin HM1 helicopter, or other helicopters of similar size, from a hangar and flight deck at the stern.

Operational history

2000-2007

In October 2004, Wave Knight and the frigate HMS Montrose provided assistance to the stricken Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi, which ran into difficulties 100 miles (160 km) north-west of County Mayo, Ireland after 2,000 litres of seawater entered the vessel due to hatches being left open in the fin. Three of the Chicoutimi's crew were airlifted to hospital in Ireland, one dying en route.

2008-2010

During 2008 and 2009, Wave Knight was deployed to the Middle East where she acted as Arabian Gulf Ready Tanker (AGRT) in support of Allied forces, providing fuel and supplies to ships from over 8 nations

On 18 April 2009, Royal Navy personnel operating from Wave Knight in the Gulf of Aden managed to intercept and fend off two pirate attacks involving the vessels Handy Tankers Magic and Front Ardennes using the ship's armament. At 0800 the ship received a distress call from MV Handy Tankers Magic indicating that they were under attack by pirates and requesting assistance. Arriving on the scene, Wave Knight gave chase to the pirate skiff and using its weapons as cover, held it and it's 'mother boat' until the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS De Zeven Provincien arrived. 13 hostages were released and the pirate's weapons were destroyed. Within two hours another distress call was received by Wave Knight from the vessel MV Front Ardennes, also under attack by pirates. Arriving to give support, the ship prevented the pirates from boarding the tanker, firing warning shots and causing the pirates to flee. With helcopters from the NATO task group ships HMCS Winnipeg and USS Halyburton, Wave Knight gave chase for 6 hours, until the HMCS Winnepeg arrived, disarming the pirates.

Wave Knight prepares to transfer fuel to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) during a replenishment at sea.

The Commanding Officer of Wave Knight, Captain Pilling, said:

RFA Wave Knight is a modern replenishment ship designed to be able to support a myriad of coalition maritime operations. Our primary role is refuelling and aviation operations, but we are fully capable of conducting anti-piracy operations in and around the Horn of Africa. We have been on station for over a year providing support to many nations, and we remain committed to helping ensure maritime security.

—Captain Pilling, Royal Navy interview

On 23 October 2009, personnel aboard Wave Knight witnessed the kidnapping by Somali pirates of two British citizens, Paul and Rachel Chandler, from the yacht Lynn Rival. Despite coming to within 15 m of the couple's vessel, they did not intervene for fear of endangering their lives. When giving a speech at Chatham House on 27 November 2009, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope made his position on the crew's conduct clear, stating that "They do not appreciate, and I do not like them, being branded cowards".

In 2009/2010 the ship underwent a re-fit in Liverpool. As of February 2011 she was back in service.^{[citation needed]}

2011

On 25 April 2011, Wave Knight left Portland and joined the COUGAR 11 deployment, the first of the Response Force Task Group deployments, where she is acting as a supply/support ship. The deployment also saw her take part in Exercise Cypriot Lion, off the coast of Cyprus.

3 June 2011 saw Wave Knight and the vessels HMS Albion, HMS Sutherland and RFA Fort Rosalie, ordered to break away from the COUGAR 11 deployment and head to the coast of Libya to take part in Operation Unified Protector, the ongoing NATO operation there. By late June the vessels were back on the RFTG tasking, and after passing through the Suez Canal began Operation Red Alligator, a major exercise in the Red Sea with the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.

Affliations

Wave Knight is affiliated with the following military and civilian organisations, bodies & individuals:

• Sea Cadet unit TS Fairmaid
• The Worshipful Company of Fuellers
• No. 216 Squadron RAF
• Lady Catherine Guthrie (sponsor).

External links

• Official Wave Knight page at the Royal Navy's website
• Photos of Wave Knight refuelling the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R07)
• Lynx Helicopter landing on Wave Knight at sea