RFA Green Rover

RFA Green Rover (A268) was a Rover-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders on the River Tyne, UK and completed in 1969. After decommissioning in 1992 she was sold to the Indonesian Navy and renamed KRI Arun (903)

RFA Green Rover (A268)
History
Royal Fleet Auxiliary EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameGreen Rover
OrderedJanuary 1968
BuilderSwan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd
Laid down28 February 1968
Launched19 December 1968
Commissioned15 August 1969
Decommissioned1992
Identification
FateAcquired by the Indonesian Navy
Indonesia
NameArun
NamesakeArun gas field
Commissioned1992
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeRover-class tanker
Displacement11,522 tons full load
Length461 ft 04 in (140.61 m)
Beam63 ft 02 in (19.25 m)
Draught24 ft 00 in (7.32 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 x 16 cyl Ruston diesel engines (orig)
  • 2 x 16 cyl Pielstick diesel engines (post 1974)
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range15,000 miles (24,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
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
Aircraft carriedone flight spot for a Merlin can take a Chinook

Design and construction

The Rover class were single-hulled tankers, designed to carry a mixture of fuel oil, aviation fuel, lubricating oil and fresh water supply for services around the globe; they could also carry limited dried stores of 340 tonnes such as munitions and refrigerated goods. They were built with a flight deck large enough to accommodate two helicopters, although no hangar was fitted. Although not big enough to support a large task group, these ships were ideal for supporting individual warships or small groups on deployment.

The keel of Green Rover was laid at Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd's Hebburn yard on the River Tyne, UK on 28 February 1968, she was launched on 19 December the same year, and completed on 15 August 1969. She was in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 1969 until 1992.[1]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary service

One of Green Rover's first duties was to attend Navy Days at Chatham. In September 1969 she towed the disabled RFA Appleleaf from the North Atlantic to Devonport. In September 1971 she carried out deck landing trials with the new Harrier jump jet while moored at Greenwich Pier on the Thames. Green Rover was decommissioned in 1992 from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[2]

Indonesian Navy service

In April 1992 the ship was purchased by her builders who then resold her to the Indonesian Navy for £6 million. She was towed from Portsmouth to the Tyne renamed C to be taken in hand for a four-month refurbishment before re-entering service for her new owners. Commissioned as KRI Arun (903), in addition to providing tanker duties, she also became the flagship of the Training Command in the Indonesian fleet. She is still in service as of 2018.

On 19 March 2018 Arun took on a severe list during a replenishment operation off Ujung, Surabaya. The exercise was cancelled and she was towed to naval facilities at Surabaya for technical examination.[3]

References

  1. "Green Rover (6923034)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. "RFA Green Rover". historicalrfa.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  3. Rahmat, Ridzwan (21 March 2018). "Indonesian Navy Rover-class tanker lists after failed replenishment operation". Jane's 360. IHS. Retrieved 29 March 2018.


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