MV ''Maersk Rapier'' is a commercial

product Product may refer to: Business * Product (business), an item that serves as a solution to a specific consumer problem. * Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution Mathematics * Produ ...

tanker that was owned by the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group and chartered to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's Ministry of Defence (MoD). The vessel served as the primary strategic link for the collection and transportation of purchased fuel from

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...

to British and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

fuel depots.

MoD charter

''Maersk Rapier ''is tasked with supplying fuel to the United Kingdoms various naval establishments at home and overseas. The vessel operates principally in the British, Atlantic and Mediterranean regions and provides aviation fuel to various RAF stations, including

RAF Akrotiri RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

, the airbridge connection at Ascension Island and Mount Pleasant in the Falklands. The MoD sub-charters the vessel (known as 3rd party trading) to commercial companies during rare periods where she is not in use for defence purposes.''Hired Tankers'' Hansard Written Answers - House of Commons
publications.parliament.uk, 27 October 2003 The operations at the Falklands and Ascension required the use of specialist floating hoses. At the Falklands the fuel was discharged through an SBM at

Mare Harbour Mare Harbour is a small settlement on East Falkland, on Choiseul Sound. It is mostly used as a port facility and depot for RAF Mount Pleasant, as well as a deepwater port used by the Royal Navy ships patrolling the South Atlantic and Antarctica, ...

. The vessel also regularly served the

fueling station at

Loch Striven Loch Striven ( gd, Loch Sroigheann) is a sea loch extending off the Firth of Clyde, and forms part of the Cowal peninsula coast, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch Striven extends off of the Firth of Clyde just north of the Isle of Bute, where ...

and occasionally the fuel jetties at

Garelochhead Garelochhead ( sco, Garelochheid,
gd, Ceann a' Gheàr ...

, Gosport and Plymouth. The vessel primarily carried a combination of Aviation Fuel for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

and high grade

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. The Maersk Rapier was under permanent charter with the MoD since 2003. The commercial contract to carry fuel for the MoD has also been extended to other Maersk vessels in the past. From 1982 to 2003 the vessels '' Maersk Ascension'' and '' Maersk Gannet'' were also under permanent charter to the MoD. As of June 2017, the vessel has been sold to an unnamed party for $6.5m. She was renamed ''Dolcha Bay.''

References

External links

MAERSK RAPIER - IMO 9167150
(shipspotting.com) 2000 ships {{UK-aux-ship-stub

MoD charter

See also

References

External links