Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

RMAS Naval Ensign
Active 1976—2008
Country United Kingdom
Type Marine Services
Size Over 200 ships in 1985[1]
Part of Her Majesty's Naval Service, MoD
Disbanded 31 March 2008

The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) was a British Government agency which ran a variety of auxiliary vessels for Her Majesty's Naval Service (incl. Royal Navy, Royal Marines) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The service from 2009 has been run by Serco and is known as Serco Marine Services.

Background

The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service merged with the former Port Auxiliary Service in 1976 to form a component of Her Majesty's Naval Service that was known as marine services. Marine services existed to support the operations of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

In the 1990s, marine services were put out to commercial tender by the Ministry of Defence Warship Support Agency (now absorbed into the Defence Equipment and Support organisation) and by 1996, all tugs, lifting craft, various tenders and management of HMNB Devonport, Portsmouth and Clyde were operated by Serco Denholm.[2]

By the mid 2000s, it was decided that the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service would no longer provide marine services to HM Naval Service, and it would instead be delivered under a Private Finance Initiative instead. Serco were quickly declared preferred bidders and the RMAS was disbanded on 31 March 2008.[3][4]

Vessels

RMAS vessels carried the ship prefix "RMAS" and auxiliary (A) or yard (Y) pennant numbers. They also had a distinctive livery or colour-scheme, namely: black hulls with white beading and buff-coloured upperworks. Below is a list of vessels previously operated by the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. A number of the vessels listed below were later transferred over to Serco Marine Services who continue to provide 'marine services' in support of Her Majesty's Naval Service.

Research vessels
Research vessel Colonel Templer passing Greenock on the Firth of Clyde
Ammunition transport
Sal-class salvage vessels
Sal-class Salmoor passing Gourock on the Firth of Clyde
Moor-class salvage vessels
Tornado-class torpedo retrievers
Torrent-class torpedo retrievers
Impulse-class submarine berthing tugs
Adept-class tractor tugs
Adept-class tugs Forceful and Careful entering the River Tamar
Moorings/Range tender
Fast fleet tender/VIP carrier
Aberdovey-class fleet tenders
Clovelly-class fleet tenders
Clovelly-class Harlech at Exeter, England, in 2004
Clovelly-class Lamlash passing HMS Warrior at Portsmouth April 30, 2000
Ilchester-class dive tenders
Dive tender Ilchester at Wick, Scotland, in 2004, on her way from Rosyth to Holyhead during the closure of the Caledonian Canal
Loyal-class fleet tenders
Loyal-class fleet tender Loyal Watcher off the south coast of England in 2000
Manly-class fleet tenders
Manly-class fleet tender Milbrook at Almerimar, Spain, in 2000

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Moore, John, Captain, RN (1985). Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. London: Jane's Publishing Co. pp. 623–631.
  2. ↑ Marine Services Planning Agreement Archived April 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "£1 billion MoD Marine Services contract". Serco.com. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  4. ↑ Queen’s Thanks as Last Post Sounds for Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

Further reading

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