HMS Sutherland takes on supplies from Wave Ruler in the Indian Ocean

Published on August 14 2012 by John

Fuel’s gold – Sutherland takes on supplies from Wave Ruler in the Indian Ocean
13 August 2012

Frigate HMS Sutherland joined up with British tanker RFA Wave Ruler in the Indian Ocean to take on much-needed supplies for her counter-terrorism mission.

The two ships conducted a replenishment at sea – known throughout the Navy as a RAS – with the tanker providing fuel and stores for the Devonport-based warship.

Pictures: LA(Phot) Ben Sutton, HMS Sutherland

YOU’RE going to need a bigger rope if you want to haul that big boy in…

LS(Sea) Simon Wright watching over shipmate and fellow seaman specialist AB Davies as he hauls in a line from RFA Wave Ruler as HMS Sutherland continues her Indian Ocean mission.

The two British vessels linked up for a replenishment at sea (RAS) to allow the frigate to take on stores for her vital mission patrolling ‘Pirate Alley’ and the ‘Hashish Highway’.

Sutherland has just arrived in the region, relieving her sister Westminster on the wide-ranging maritime security task.

Wave Ruler from astern - as seen through Sutherland's bull ring

At any one time around half a dozen warships are assigned to the international mission directed by the Combined Maritime Forces based in Bahrain, working in two distinct task forces: CTF 150 (counter-terrorism/smuggling) and CTF 151 (counter-piracy).

It’s a mission spread across two and a half million square miles of ocean – more than eight times the size of the North Sea.

With warships typically cruising at 14kts, it takes five days to sail from the Strait of Hormuz to the Seychelles or Bab-al-Mandeb to Mumbai – the task has been likened to trying to cover an area the size of Western Europe with half a dozen police cars travelling at 30mph.

Cdr Al Wilson, Sutherland's Commanding Officer, directs his ship's movements during the RAS

So as well as choreographing the movements of the warships, staff are constantly looking at the fuel and food supplies they carry and whether they’ll need to replenish in the coming days: no supplies = no patrolling.

In addition to providing fuel for the Coalition’s warships (and their helicopters), the 31,000-ton tanker also carries food and general supplies.

The latter can be transferred by wire as the ships sail parallel courses around 120ft apart – two tonnes at a time, equivalent to a pallet of around 20 rounds for a 4.5in main gun – or in a load slung beneath a helicopter (known as a VERTREP or vertical replenishment).

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