Second Tide-class Tanker Joined United Kingdom's RFA Fleet.

The British Royal Navy commissioned the second Tide-class tanker Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), Tiderace, into service during ceremony in Portland, UK on August 3rd.

RFA Tiderace is the second Tide-class tanker of the RFA. Picture: Royal Navy

Four Tides have been built for the Royal Navy – Tidespring is already heavily engaged supporting operations and training around the UK; Tidesurge is being fitted out in Falmouth and Tideforce is on her delivery voyage from South Korea ready to receive British military communications kit and weaponry.

All four ships are designed to be at the heart of a carrier strike group, supporting HMS Queen Elizabeth or Prince of Wales, a Type 45 destroyer, Type 23 or 26 frigate and an Astute-class hunter-killer submarine.

Each of the four vessels in the 21st-Century generation of Tides can deliver more than 1,500 cubic metres of fuel every hour – nearly 400,000 gallons, or 1½ million litres... enough to fill the tanks of more than 27,000 family runarounds.

The Tide-class are a 200.9 m (659 ft 1 in), 39,000 tons vessels featuring a double-hull to reduce or prevent oil being lost by damage to the outer hull, in line with the MARPOL regulations.