Royal Fleet Auxiliary
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| Abbreviation | RFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1905 |
| Purpose | Auxiliaries |
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Region
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United Kingdom |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
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Commodore RFA
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Cdre Duncan Lamb |
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Staff
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1,850 personnel |
| Website | |
| Fleet | 9 ships |
| Queen's Colour |
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The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, whose purpose is to support the Royal Navy. The RFA enables ships of the Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment at sea (RAS). It also transports Army and Royal Marine personnel, as well as supporting training exercises, and engaging in anti-piracy and anti-drug smuggling operations.
The RFA counts an Aviation Training ship/Hospital Ship and landing vessels amongst its assets. RFA personnel are members of the Ministry of Defence civil service, and since 2003, special members of the Royal Naval Reserve deemed sponsored reserves, which are civilians who must be part of the Armed Forces in some capacity, in order to carry out specialist civilian jobs in a military capacity. However the RFA itself is not part of the Naval Service, and officers wear Merchant Navy rank insignia with naval uniforms but are under naval discipline when the vessel is engaged on warlike operations. RFA vessels are commanded and crewed by these civilians, augmented with regular and reserve Royal Navy personnel to perform specialised military functions such as operating and maintaining helicopters or providing hospital facilities. Royal Navy personnel are also needed to operate certain weapons, such as the Phalanx, however other weapons (such as the GMPG or 20mm cannon) are operated by RFA personnel.
The RFA was first established in 1905 to provide coaling ships for the Navy in an era when the change from sail to coal-fired steam engines as the main means of propulsion meant that a network of bases around the world with coaling facilities or a fleet of ships able to supply coal were necessary for a fleet to operate away from its home country. Since the Royal Navy of that era possessed the largest network of bases around the world of any fleet, the RFA at first took a relatively minor role.
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Wikipedia