A&P Tyne Ltd, part of
A&P Group Ltd, has been awarded the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)
refit contract on RFA Fort Austin for the UK Ministry of Defense.
The contract is to carry out planned maintenance and capability enhancements to this auxiliary fleet replenishment ship, built on the Clyde in 1975.
The vessel arrived in Tyneside and moored alongside the Bede Quay at the Hebburn yard on July 23 and docked down on August 15. The total contract period is 103 days and will employ at peak over 400 personnel with an A&P core workforce of approximately 200.
RFA Fort Austin has been in continuous service with the RFA Flotilla since 1978 and has seen service in the Falklands war in 1982, the 1st Gulf war in 1991, the conflict in Bosnia in 1994, operation Telic (2nd Gulf war) in 2003 together with humanitarian relief operations in areas such as Sierra Leone in 2000.