RFA ''Sea Crusader'' was a fast

sealift Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...

ship chartered to Britain's

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

between 1996 and 2003 and subsequently in commercial service with Cobelfret on North Sea routes as MV ''Celestine''. She was described by the RFA as a "Strategic Lift

Ro-Ro Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or usin ...

Background

In the mid-1990s the British Ministry of Defence identified a need for sealift ships to support the new Joint Rapid Deployment Force (JRDF, subsequently the

Joint Rapid Reaction Force The Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) was a capability concept of the British Armed Forces from 1999 to 2010. It was a pool of specialised units from all three armed services tasked with rapid deployment worldwide at short notice. The force was int ...

). This requirement would ultimately be met by the construction of six Point-class sealift ships in 2002–3, but the charter of two commercial ships was approved as an interim measure.

Description

''Sea Crusader''/''Celestine'' is the lead ship of a class of six vehicle carriers of 23,986 GT. She is long and powered by two MAN B&W 7L40/54 diesels of 6,690 shp each. She can carry 654 cars and 157 trailers

History

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

built MV ''Celestine'' at Sakaide shipyard, Japan in 1996. In October of that year the RFA took the newly built ship on a two-year charter from Oceanarrow (UK) Ltd as RFA ''Sea Crusader''. She would be joined by RFA ''Sea Centurion'' in October 1998. The original intention was that ''Sea Crusader'' would be replaced by the charter of a new-build sister ship to ''Sea Centurion'', but construction problems with the ''Sea Chieftain'' led to the charter of the ''Sea Crusader'' being extended until 1 March 2003. she is serving the

Purfleet Purfleet-on-Thames is a town in the Thurrock unitary authority, Essex, England. It is bordered by the A13 road to the north and the River Thames to the south and is within the easternmost part of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater Lond ...

and

Immingham Immingham is a town, civil parish and ward in the North East Lincolnshire unitary authority of England. It is situated on the south-west bank of the Humber Estuary, and is north-west from Grimsby. The region was relatively unpopulated and un ...

routes to

Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (, from: ''Brugge aan zee'' meaning "Bruges at Sea", french: Zeebruges) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeeb ...

for Cobelfret Ferries under a Belgian flag, homeported in Antwerp.

References

Ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 1996 ships {{UK-aux-ship-stub