Ordered January 1968 Laid down 28 February 1968 Decommissioned 24 February 2006 Construction started 28 February 1968 Length 141 m Builder Swan Hunter | Yard number 7 Commissioned 10 March 1970 Fate Sold for scrap Launched 17 April 1969 Beam 19 m | |
 | ||
RFA Grey Rover (A269) was a Rover class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was decommissioned in 2006.
Contents
Launch and commissioning
Grey Rover was launched at the Swan Hunter yard, Hebburn on Tyne, on 17 April 1969. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Parker, the wife of Vice Admiral Sir John Parker KBE, CB, DSC who was Flag Officer Medway. She was completed on 10 April 1970 and accepted into service 3-months later than planned.
1970-1980
In September 1970, Grey Rover took over from Black Ranger as FOST tanker.
In July 1973, she was involved in a collision with the Canadian Submarine HMCS Okanagan resulting in the need to dry dock in Govan for repairs.
Between 17 June 1976 and 22 June 1976 she stood off the Lebanon to evacuate British nationals along with RFA Stromness and the frigates HMS Exmouth and HMS Mermaid.
1981-1990
During Operation Corporate (the Falklands War), Grey Rover was the only operational RFA tanker which remained in UK waters. She carried out RAS trials with STUFT ships en route to the Falkland Islands in the SW Approaches to the English Channel whilst herself based at Portland. The smallest vessel worked with was the trawler F/V Farnella and the largest was the liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2.
1991-2000
In January 1994, Grey Rover berthed at Cape Town, South Africa in company with HMS Norfolk for a five day visit. Both ships were open to the public and 53,000 visitors we received on board both ships.
Grey Rover's last refit was 15 June - 27 November 1998 which extended her service life into the 21st century.
2001-2006
On 2 February 2006, while supporting the Type 42 destroyer HMS Southampton in the Caribbean as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (North), Grey Rover was involved in the boarding of merchant vessel M/V Rampage and the seizure of 3.5t of cocaine with an estimated street value of £350 million.
In November 2004, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Lord Bach announced that Grey Rover would have a decommissioning date of 2007. She paid off early on 15 March 2006 and was towed to Canada Dock, Liverpool for scrapping. Her scrapping was recorded in a time-lapse video.