Some commercial tankers can be adapted to refuel warships without the elaborate rigs fitted to purpose-built replenishment ships. In the older stern-to-bow method, the receiving ship follows in line while a hose hangs from a cable between the vessels. The transfer is slow, awkward, and lower capacity than modern alongside replenishment, but it demands much less structural modification. Engineers would still have to identify strong attachment points and fit the necessary rings or hard points. This simple system remains available in an emergency even though peacetime fleets rarely practice it.
Chapter · 26:11-29:56
Old stern-to-bow refuelling still works
A civilian tanker can refuel warships with a slow stern-to-bow rig whose simplicity is easy to overlook beside modern alongside replenishment gear.