Royal Navy: Falklands repair ship RFA Diligence which was Portsmouth fixture is sent to Turkey for recycling

RFA Diligence, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship previously involved in the Falklands and Gulf conflicts, has arrived in Turkey after being sold for recycling by the UK Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA). 

Reflecting an ongoing commitment to sustainability and ethical recycling, the ship was sold to new owner LEYAL Ship Recycling Group by the DE&S team specialising in the disposal of vehicles, vessels and equipment no longer needed by UK Armed Forces. 

Having previously undertaken duties as a forward repair ship for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, providing support to fleets of vessels and submarines away from UK bases, RFA Diligence was decommissioned in 2015. Her sale for recycling avoids unnecessary environmental and financial costs while generating income for the UK. 

Richard Whalley, Head of DESA, who also previously served on RFA Diligence in 1992, said: “Responsible disposal of surplus defence assets is a key part of DESA business. Following a period of marketing the ship for further use, we have now sold her for recycling, providing a return for the Royal Navy and ensuring appropriate disposal.” 

During the early stages of DESA’s recycling tender exercise, the global COVID-19 pandemic struck and prevented any international travel which consequently limited overseas competitors for the sale. Once international travel restrictions were lifted and overseas bidders were able to view the vessel, Turkey-based LEYAL Ship Recycling Group was awarded the contract. 

RFA Diligence was previously chartered by the British government to support naval activities during The Falklands in 1982. She later became a fleet maintenance vessel and was used in multiple forward deployments, including as a support ship during both Gulf conflicts. 

In more recent years, she was a familiar fixture in Portsmouth harbour before setting sail to make the journey to her final destination in Turkey. 

She was equipped with specialised machinery including arc welding equipment, lathes, pillar drills, grinders, band saws and a large store of spares - while being utilised as primary battle damage repair unit. RFA Diligence was launched in 1981 and built in Landskrona, Sweden. she also had a helicopter deck on the roof of her bridge that was large enough to support a CH-47 Chinook. The hull was built to the highest ice class specification, which allowed her to navigate polar regions without the assistance of an icebreaker.

She was initially set up to be a civilian oil rig support vessel, but was chartered by the British government to support naval activities during The Falklands War in 1982 and was later bought outright as a fleet maintenance vessel. Previously known as MV Stena Inspector, government officials purchased the ship in 1983 for £25m and renamed her. She was used in multiple forward deployed situations since, including as a support ship for USS Tripoli and USS Princeton during The Gulf War in 1991.

The vessel was also deployed in response to humanitarian disasters including a tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2005, and underwent a £17.6m refit between June 2012 and February 2013, after a previous £16m overhaul in 2007. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) put the vessel up for sale in 2016 and in 2017 she was towed from Birkenhead to Portsmouth where she awaited a potential buyer.