Q&A · 41:21-42:35

Fleet tanker and carrier-strike tanker roles in MARS

The likely distinction was less fuel capacity in exchange for enough speed to accompany the carrier group.

Question

How would the MARS programme's five planned fleet tankers have differed from its one carrier-strike replenishment tanker?

Short answer

The likely distinction was less fuel capacity in exchange for enough speed to accompany the carrier group.

Notes

The carrier-strike replenishment tanker was thought to trade some fuel capacity for speed. It would need to remain with a carrier group during fast combat manoeuvres, while ordinary fleet tankers stayed with the replenishment group. The Falklands task-force structure provides the comparison: carrier, amphibious, and replenishment groups exchanged ships and stores. A faster tanker might also refill from the slower tankers before returning to the carrier group.