The shipyard and engineering service provider Cammell Laird has begun a £47 million refit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria. The massive refit will be the biggest ever undertaken by the yard since it began its 25-year Through Life Support ‘cluster’ contract to maintain nine of the 13 ships in the RFA flotilla in 2008.
RFA Fort Victoria is one of the largest vessels operated by the British Ministry of Defence. She has just completed three years of active service, during which she has been part of Britain’s involvement in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, as well as supporting the Royal Navy.
The RFA Through Life Support ‘cluster’ contract provides engineering support to the RFA flotilla and includes capability insertion, allowing the ships to be fully integrated with the Royal Navy. The cluster contract is Cammell Laird’s biggest single contract. It is reviewed every five years, based on performance and value for money.
