Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Active	1905–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Merchant Navy
Type	Auxiliary force
Role	Replenishment & Operational Support
Size	1,750 personnel (as of late 2022); combined vessel displacement c. 341,000 tonnes
RFA Headquarters	Leach Building, Whale Island, Portsmouth, England, UK
Colours	Blue and gold
Fleet	13 vessels –; 6 Replenishment oilers; 1 Multi-role replenishment ship; 3 Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary); 1 Aviation Support and Littoral Strike Ship; 1 Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) Ship; 1 Mine Countermeasures Trials Platform;
Decorations	Kings Colour
Website	Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Commanders
Commodore in Chief	The Duke of Edinburgh
Commodore RFA	Cdre David Eagles
Insignia
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ensign
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Jack
Abbreviation	RFA

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by providing fuel and stores through replenishment at sea, transporting Royal Marines and British Army personnel, providing medical care and transporting equipment and essentials around the world. In addition the RFA acts independently providing humanitarian aid, counter piracy and counter narcotic patrols together with assisting the Royal Navy in preventing conflict and securing international trade.^[3] They are a uniformed civilian branch of the Royal Navy staffed by British merchant sailors.^[4] The RFA is one of five RN fighting arms .^[5]

RFA personnel are civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence and members of the Royal Naval Reserve and Sponsored Reserves. Although RFA personnel wear Merchant Navy rank insignia with naval uniforms, they are part of the Royal Navy. RFA vessels are commanded and crewed by these sailors, augmented with regular and reserve Royal Navy personnel who perform specialised 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 DS30B 30 mm cannon) are operated by RFA personnel. The RFA counts an aviation support vessel and dock landing ships amongst its assets.

^ "Navy struggling to keep RFA Fort Victoria operational". NavyLookout. 19 May 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference Eagles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Support the Fleet that Protects Our Nation's Interest". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
^ "Royal Fleet Auxiliary". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
^ "THE ROYAL NAVY'S SURFACE FLEET" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk. MOD UK. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2018.

[1] "Navy struggling to keep RFA Fort Victoria operational". NavyLookout. 19 May 2023.

[Eagles-2] Cite error: The named reference Eagles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] "Support the Fleet that Protects Our Nation's Interest". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 April 2022.

[4] "Royal Fleet Auxiliary". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 April 2022.

[5] "THE ROYAL NAVY'S SURFACE FLEET" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk. MOD UK. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2018.

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