Subsequent name:
Official Number: 9240782
Class: BAY CLASS Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)
Pennant No: L3009
Signal Letters: GCID
Laid down:
Builder: BAE Systems, Govan, Glasgow
Launched: 9 April 2005
Into Service: 6 March 2007
Crew number: 76
Out of service:
Fate:
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: In April 2000 an Invitation to Tender was issued for the design and build of two Alternative Landing Ships Logistics to replace RFA’s SIR PERCIVALE and SIR GERAINT which were to enter service in 2004 and 2005. Options would be provided for up to a further three vessels to replace the remainder of the ageing LSL’s. 3 U.K. yards submitted bids – Appledore Shipbuilders Limited, BAE Systems and Swan Hunter (Tyneside) Ltd. On 26 October 2000 an official announcement was made that four new ships would be built in a £300 million deal and that subject to negotiation of satisfactory terms and conditions, Swan Hunter (Tyneside) Ltd would be selected as lead shipyard for the programme. Two ships would be built at Wallsend with the other two being built to the Swan Hunter design by BAE Systems Marine at Govan. The ships would be based on the very successful Dutch ROTTERDAM design, but enlarged to give greater payload carrying capacity
19 November 2001 ordered
8 April 2005 named CARDIGAN BAY by Lady Jan Stanhope, wife of Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB, OBE, ADC the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.. The launch had to be delayed by 24 hours as a northerly wind had made the depth of water in the Clyde too low
9 April 2005 launched by BAE Systems Marine, Govan as Yard Nr: 0324
January 2006 Captain Nigel Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
22 June 2006 sailed Govan on Sea Trials
29 June 2006 returned Govan on completion of Sea Trials
3 August 2006 delivered. Cost £108 million – source Hansard & National Audit Office report
8 September 2006 sailed Scotstoun for Portsmouth
15 September 2006 arrived Portsmouth
20 October 2006 Captain Peter Farmer RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain Peter Farmer RFA
23 October 2006 sailed Portsmouth for Spithead Anchorage
26 October 2006 sailed Spithead Anchorage for Portland arriving late the same day
10 November 2006 arrived Plymouth Sound
17 November 2006 arrived Falmouth from Devonport and berthed on Duchy Wharf
January 2007 with FOST
7 February 2007 alongside at Devonport
14 February 2007 arrived Merseyside for the first time and entered the Cammell Laird Yard at Birkenhead
23 February 2007 sailed Liverpool after dry docking
26 February 2007 arrived at Portland
6 March 2007 service of Dedication was held at Portland
16 April 2007 sailed Portsmouth for Devonport prior to Orion 07 Deployment
24 April 2007 berthed at Gibraltar
29 April 2007 sailed Gibraltar
May and June 2007 on Orion 07 Deployment
29 May 2007 at Pireas, Greece
27 June 2007 at Limasol. Cyprus
16 July 2007 Captain (X) Shaun Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain Shaun Jones RFA
24 July 2007 berthed on the south arm of Gibraltar Dockyard
2 September 2007 arrived Falmouth Bay from Deployment and sailed for Portland
23 September 2007 sailed Portland for training with FOST
19 October 2007 arrived Dutchy Wharf, Falmouth then later moved to No: 2 Dry Dock
24 November 2007 sailed Falmouth
25 November 2007 in Plymouth Sound
29 November 2007 berthed on Yonderberry Oil Fuel Jetty
3 December 2007 berthed at Devonport
4 January 2008 transitted the Suez Canal
9 February 2008 Captain (X) N A Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
3 March 2008 rescued ten sailors from the MV Nadi which had sunk in the Arbian Gulf.
2 August 2008 Captain Shaun Jones RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
November 2008 at Jebel Ali
20 November 2008 Captain (X) Kim Watts RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
17 April 2009 His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO visited the ship while she was alongside in Bahrain.
12 May 2009 Captain (X) David J Buck RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain (X) David J Buck RFA
2 August 2009 at Bahrain
3 December 2009 at Bahrain
30 January 2010 Captain (X) David J Buck RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
28 May 2010 at Bahrain and Captain (X) Gerard A Patterson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain (X) Gerard A Patterson RFA
30 July 2010 Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar KCB OBE flew his flag onboard RFA Cardigan Bay, which was currently taking part in Operation Telic in the Northern Arabian Gulf
30 October 2010 Captain (X) Paul Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain (X) Paul Minter RFA
6 November 2010 at Bahrein
30 December 2010 arrived at Gibraltar from the Gulf
2 January 2011 sailed Gibraltar for Portsmouth
7 January 2011 berthed at Portsmouth after a three year Gulf deployment
18 January 2011 at Falmouth for repair period
18 February 2011 Captain Gerard A Patterson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
21 February 2011 sailed Falmouth for work up
March 2011 at Portland and under FOST
6 April 2011 at Plymouth. Captain (X) Paul B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
7 April 2011 deployed to the Mediterranean with HMS Albion and HMS Sutherland on Operation Cougar 11 as the lead element of the Navy’s newly-formed Response Force Task Group (RFTG) together with elements of Taunton-based 40 Commando, Royal Marines
12 April 2011 berthed at Gibraltar
14 April 2011 sailed Gibraltar
May 2011 in exercises with other units of the Deployment off Cyprus
28 July 2011 arrived Gibraltar enroute to Marchwood Military Port after the Cougar 11 deployment
1 August 2011 sailed Gibraltar
5 August 2011 berthed at Marchwood Military Port after her deployment in Cougar 11
26 August 2011 sailed Devonport after destoring for refit in Falmouth. and arrived Falmouth later the same day
10 September 2011 entered No 2 Dry Dock at Falmouth
7 December 2011 Captain (X) Paul B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
25 February 2012 ran trials in Falmouth Bay on completion of refit
11 March 2012 at Falmouth
April 2012 involved with FOST work up
18 May 2012 deployed on Operation Kipion in the Persian Gulf until 7 May 2016
15 June 2012 at Bahrain
16 to 27 September 2012 off the coast of United Arab Emirates engaged in International Mine Counter Measures 2012 (IMCMEX 12) with over 30 nations taking part
29 September 2012 arrived Bahrain
30 November 2012 Captain (X) Paul B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
1 December 2012 at Bahrain
5 November 2013 Captain (X) Paul B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
27 March 2014 Captain (X) Paul B Minter RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
10 April 2014 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrain
14 April 2014 sailed Mina Sulman, Bahrain
27 April 2014 arrived at Fulairah, UAE
10 May 2014 arrived at Dubai, UAE
12 May 2014 Captain Gary C Shattock RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain Gary C Shattock RFA
18 June 2014 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrain
25 June 2014 Chief Officer (E) Richard M Maddock RFA appointed Acting Captain (E) and as Chief Engineer Officer
1 July 2014, berthed at Mini Sulman, Bahrain
5 July 2014 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrain
6 July 2014 sailed Mina Sulman, Bahrain
An AH-64 Apache flown by pilots from 3rd Battalion, 159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) US Army landing on RFA Cardigan Bay during Exercise Spartan Kopis
Captain Gary Shattock RFA being presented with a Unit patch and US Flag by Major Michael Shaw 3rd Battalion, 159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), US Army
both images © MOD
17 July 2014 berthed at Dubai, UAE
21 July 2014 sailed Dubai, UAE
25 July 2014 berthed at Hidd, Bahrain
11 August 2014 Acting Captain (E) Paul W Greenough RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 October 2014 Captain Peter N Selby RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
28 October 2014 berthed at Mina Sulman
31 October 2014 sailed Hidd, Bahrain to Sitrah also at Bahrain
14 November 2014 Captain (E) Martin J Stone RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
20 December 2014 sailed Bahrain
17 January 2015 Captain Peter N Selby RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
29 January 2015 berthed at Bahrain
5 February 2015 sailed Bahrain
13 February 2015 sailed Bahrain
18 February 2015 Captain (X) Gary C Shattock RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
21 February 2015 sailed Dubai
26 February 2015 berthed at Bahrain
17 July 2015 RASed with RFA FORT VICTORIA off Djibouti
9 July 2015 Captain (X) Jonathan P Huxley RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
22 July 2015 at Djibouti
3 September 2015 Captain (E) Robert C Stevenson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
27 September 2015 berthed alongside at Port Rashid
1 October 2015 sailed Port Rashid
8 October 2015 Exercise Pearl Dagger 2015 with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force and Royal Navy units including RFA CARDIGAN BAY and with two Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel and six Inflatable Raiding Craft, along with 104 Royal Marines ended this day
5 November 2015 Captain (X) Christopher G Clarke MBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
Captain (X) Christopher G Clarke MBE RFA
13 February 2016 Captain (E) Paul W Greenough RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
7 March 2016 Captain (X) Jonathan P Huxley RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
10 April 2016 ten members of the Royal Australian Navy, under the command of Commander Max Muller RAN were embarked to lead a task force as part of the International Mine Countermeasure Exercise involving the US, UK and Oman as Task Force 523 included three diving units and multiple ships in the Central Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. The international exercise takes place every 18 months. The ship’s operations room housed Australian command and control equipment that was used to identify and neutralise mines that pose a threat to commercial shipping routes. During the exercise, Task Force 523 ships cleared the exercise area of sea mines and engaged a fictitious non-state terrorist group serving as the opposing force. The exercise ended on 23 April 2016
July 2016 entered Falmouth Docks for a refit
21 July 2016 crew members while on deployment made a continuing collection of foreign cash after visiting various ports and on return of the ship to Falmouth for her refit this money was donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at Falmouth. Able Seaman Brian Sherring from the ship hands over in excess of £60 to the RNLI –
17 September 2016 at Falmouth while in refit suffered a minor fire onboard which was extinguished by the ships crew
7 November 2016 Captain (E) Paul W Greenough RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
11 November 2016 Captain (X) Stephen J Norris RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
24 February 2017 Captain (E) Robert C Stevenson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
16 March 2017 sailed Falmouth
24 March 2017 moored at Plymouth Sound
31 March 2017 moored in Plymouth Sound
3 April 2017 sailed Plymouth Sound
13 April 2017 berthed at Portland
16 April 2017 Captain (E) Robert C Stevenson RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
24 April 2017 sailed Portland
28 April 2017 arrived at Plymouth. Captain (X) Jeremy A Macanley RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
8 May 2017 sailed Plymouth
11 May 2017 arrived at Plymouth Sound and moored
15 May 2017 sailed Plymouth Sound
17 May 2017 arrived at Plymouth Sound sailing the same day to sea
6 June 2017 passed Gibraltar
13 June 2017 Captain (E) Paul W Greenough RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 June 2017 arrived at Port Said anchorage
18 June 2017 deployed on Operation Kipion in the Persian Gulf
18 June 2017 transitted Suez Canal
29 June 2017 refuelled a helicopter from HMS MONMOUTH (F235) off the Island of Socotra in the Gulf of Yemen
Winchman AET Stu Rogers, Pilot Lt Si Hall and Observer Lt Ash Morgan
3 July 2017 berthed at Duqm, Oman
12 July 2017 berthed at Bahrain
29 July 2017 sailed Bahrain
4 August 2017 berthed at Bahrein
12 August 2017 sailed Bahrain
14 August berthed at Dubai
20 August 2017 sailed Dubai
8 September 2017 Captain (X) Gerard A Patterson RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
20 September 2017 berthed at Bahrein
4 October 2017 sailed Abu Dhabi
5 October 2017 berthed at Bahrein
9 October 2017 sailed Bahrein returning to the same port 3 hours later
18 October 2017 sailed Bahrein
21 October 2017 at Sitrah Anchorage, Bahrein
17 November 2017 sailed Bahrein
22 November 2017 berthed at Bahrein
26 November 2017 Captain (X) Christopher G Clarke MBE RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
30 November 2017 sail Bahrein
15 December 2017 Captain (E) Gareth H Coomber RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
17 December 2017 sailed Bahrein
27 December 2017 sailed Bahrein
30 December 2017 arrived at Muscat
3 January 2018 sailed Dubai
7 January 2018 berthed at Bahrein
29 January 2018 engaged in a 7 day medical exercise onboard with Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System 19 – a US Navy Medical Team and with a UK Naval Medical team
© US Navy
14 February 2018 sailed Bahrain
17 February 2018 arrived at Oman
9 March 2018 sailed from Oman
11 March 2018 berthed at Qatar
15 March 2018 sailed Qatar
17 March 2018 Captain (X) Angus D Bissell RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
28 March 2018 sailed Dubai
31 March 2018 Temporary Acting Captain (E) Keith Burrell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
3 April 2018 sailed Dubai arriving later at Sitrah Anchorage
4 April 2018 berthed at Bahrain
8 April 2018 sailed Bahrein
10 April 2018 at 25°46N 54°45E
12 April 2018 berthed at Bahrein
15 April 2018 sailed Bahrein to Abu Dhabi
18 April 2018 Captain (E) Keith J Burrell RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
23 April 2018 berthed at Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
29 April 2018 sailed Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
2 May 2018 berthed at Doha, Qatar
4 May 2018 sailed Doha, Qatar
8 May 2018 berthed at Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
2 June 2018 sailed Bahrein
6 June 2018 berthed at Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
12 June 2018 sailed from Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
21 June 2018 berthed at Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
25 June 2018 sailed from Mina Sulhman, Bahrein
22 July 2018 sailed from Salalah, Oman
31 July 2018 arrived at Salalah Anchorage, Oman sailing later the same day
4 August 2018 berthed at Muscat, Oman. Captain (X) Jeremy A Macanley RFA appointed as Commanding Officer
7 August 2018 sailed from Muscat, Oman
11 August 2018 arrived at Dubai
21 August 2018 sailed from Dubai
30 August 2018 berthed at Bahrein
12 October 2018 sailed from Bahrein
15 October 2018 arrived at Duqm Anchorage, Oman
27 October 2018 sailed from Duqm Anchorage, Oman
28 October 2018 RASed with USNS Laramie
11 November 2018 Rememberance Day service on RFA CARDIGAN BAY
18 November 2018 at Bahrein
22 November 2018 RASed with USNS Richard E Byrd
3 December 2018 sailed from Bahein
8 December 2018 sailed from Bahein
10 December 2018 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
17 December 2018 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
22 December 2018 arrived at Sitrah Anchorage, Bahrein sailing later the same day to berth at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
24 December 2018 sailed Mina Sulman, Bahrein
30 December 2018 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
16 January 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
19 January 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
22 January 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
29 January 2019 anchored at Sitrah Anchorage, Bahrein
1 February 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
15 February 2019 arrived at Muscat
16 February 2019 sailed from Muscat
9 March 2019 berthed at Dubai
19 March 2019 sailed from Dubai
24 March 2019 berthed at Bahrein
8 April 2019 sailed from Bahrein
17 April 2019 arrived at Sitrah, Bahrein
25 May 2019 sailed from Bahrein
30 May 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
2 June 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
7 June 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
23 June 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
27 June 2019 arrived at Duqm Anchorage, Oman
3 July 2019 sailed from Duqm Anchorage, Oman
12 July 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
24 August 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein returning to the same port on the 26 August 2019
5 September 2019 sailed Bahrein
12 September 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
15 September 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
17 September 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
26 September 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
6 October 2019 berthed at Dubai
8 October 2019 sailed from Dubai
10 October 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
12 October 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
27 October 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
3 November 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
6 November 2019 arrived at Al Jubail Anchorage, Saudi Arabia
10 November 2019 sailed from Al Jubail Anchorage, Saudi Arabia
11 November 2019 arrived at Sitrah Anchorage, Bahrein later moving to Mina Sulman, Bahrein
3 December 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
6 December 2019 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
24 December 2019 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
30 December 2019 berthed at Dubai
12 January 2020 sailed from Dubai
15 January 2020 arrived at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
30 January 2020 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
19 February 2020 berthed at Dubai
6 March 2020 sailed from Dubai
9 March 2020 arrived at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
April 2020 at Mina Sulman, Bahrein ‘rafted up’ with US Navy patrol boats No: 1291 & 1204 both from US Navy’s 3rd Coastal Riverine Squadron
A patrol boat from US Navy’s 3rd Coastal Riverine Squadron at Bahrein
RFA Cardigan Bay during Exercise Khunjar Hadd
© MOD
12 May 2021 entered Bahrein after completing Exercise Artemis Trident
13 May 2021 sailed from Bahrein
27 May 2021 arrived at Suez
28 May 2021 sailed Port Said for Limassol, Cyprus
29 May 2021 arrived and berthed at Limassol, Cyprus
1 June 2021 sailed from Limassol, Cyprus
9 June 2021 arrived at Gibraltar
13 June 2021 sailed from Gibraltar
18 June 2021 berthed at Portland Port
25 June 2021 sailed from Portland Port
26 June 2021 berthed at Devonport Dockyard
5 February 2022 sailed to Portland Port
8 March 2022 sailed from Portland Port
11 March 2022 arrived at Devonport
16 March 2022 moved from Devonport Dockyard to Plymouth Sound making fast to ‘C’ Buoy and later sailed
25 March 2022 arrived at Devonport
27 March 2022 sailed from Devonport
4 April 2022 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea returning later in the day
6 April 2022 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea returning later in the day
11 April 2022 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea
22 April 2022 made fast in Plymouth Sound
25 April 2022 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea
28 April 2022 made fast in Plymouth Sound to ‘D’ Buoy
2 May 2022 sailed from Plymouth Sound to sea
6 May 2022 berthed at Portland Port
8 June 2022 sailed from Portland Port
25 June 2022 arrived at Souda Anchorage, Crete sailing the same day
27 June 2022 arrived at Port Said Anchorage
28 June 2022 sailed from Port Said
12 July 2022 berthed at Mina Sulman, Bahrein
19 July 2022 sailed from Mina Sulman, Bahrein
Ships of the same name
Cardigan Bay. (ex Loch Laxford) a Bay Class Frigate built by Henry Robb and Co, Leith, she was launched on the 28 December 1944. Arrived at Troon for breaking up by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd on the 5 March 1962.
Battle Honours for this Vessel: KOREA 1950-53