HMS Queen Elizabeth and RFA Fort Victoria - live ammunition replenishment

[@Irisishunter]

Remarkable. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this, extraordinary skill.

[@geoffcushnet3675]

Very nostalgic for me. I was 2nd Officer in the RFA in the 1960's! Wonderful times and memories. If anyone is interested, I have a film of how replenishment is done. Search Geoff Cushnet, The R.A.S.

[@willberry6434]

The power of those waves really left an impression on me. Wow

[@ciaranjefferies]

Fort Vic was my last ship. I left in 2001. Glad to see the Old Girl in action. 👍🏻

[@christinabrooks5991]

Wow the guys on both ships are really skilled. But those on the Fort Victoria are awesome.

[@6mojo]

Took me back to when I sailed on HMS Fearless with 42 Commando RM from Singapore to Tokyo via Hong Kong in 1970 for British week in Tokyo!

[@konradyearwood5845]

I remember being on the bridge as 2nd Officer of the watch of HMS MINERVA and hearing our club swinger PO PTI O'Rourke driving the jackstay crew. He had them working with the precision of a Swiss watch while Leading Writer Jackson had the crew on the traveller racing up and down like greyhounds. Happy days!

[@lawrencemartin1113]

Incredible work. This always looks so simple but is a very complex and potentially highly dangerous operation. Wonderful to be able to see the whole thing. I had a fantastic trip on board HMS Queen Elizabeth a few years ago while she was alongside. I stood in that bay area where the stores are coming on board. Great post, thank you!

[@stevencharnock9271]

This brings a whole new insight into what can go in the green wheelie bin :-)

[@bunnymc25]

Surprising how strong them cables are.

[@johncallaghan5787]

And lots and lots of service men & women just watching. Can't beat watching a couple of guys working : )

[@newton18311]

I love work , I can watch it all day.

[@konradyearwood5845]

On a frigate or destroyer nearly all the ship's company have a role. What you do not notice with this RAS is a lot of people are required if something goes wrong. During the RAS there are people there to put an axe through the ropes and cables and hands available to stop the lines getting caught up in the propellor etc. On a frigate of destroyer there is a lot more manual input on the warship side as they do not have the convenience of that hanger space and hydraulic lift equipment etc.

[@robertsidorowicz7123]

Takes my back to 1970's RAS HMS Falmouth

[@kevinarmitage4813]

Done a few of these in my 22years in the Royal Navy and being a buffer 👍

[@baldpancake5404]

Sailed on the Vicky a few times as well as the George, done many a RAS and light/heavy jackstay replenishments on her, ahh the good old days.

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

*Remarkable . Thanks for posting this!!!*

[@tonyhunt5605]

Great stuff guys 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿💪

[@Yorkie-9668]

Brill love it and brings back so many memories when I was in the RFA in the 80's, one observation mind, we live in such an over the top HSE society nowadays, why don't any of them wear gloves? I had them whilst aboard my ships nearly 40 years ago!

[@hareydene]

Fort Vic was my last ship i left in 2009 nice to see her still at sea

[@johnfleming3289]

Great seamanship, well done the sailors! A lot of spectators, nobody very busy then?

[@keithskelhorne3993]

must have been a banyan day?

[@eyesofisabelofficial]

Watching and learning :)

[@philiptilden2318]

One supervisor, one apprentice, one on tea break and one doing the actual work!

[@slickrick320]

It's health and safety. People need to watch the people doing the work, for example stray ropes as they are concentrating on the replenishment

[@1chish]

Some bloody sound seamanship on both bridges there. Over 56 tonnes of kit passed over 'just like that'. Good to see some trainees getting shouted at .. 😂

[@YvonneWilson312]

That's what they're there for! 😂

[@petrolhead1960]

You can tell they’re trainees by how skinny they are. 😂

[@1chish]

@@petrolhead1960 Very true. A few 'Fish Fridays' and Sunday Roasts will sort them out.

[@michaelmitchell6629]

That is what my first ship the orient express did many times on our 6 deployments to indian ocean and gulf of oman and aden did 1983-84

[@stuartbega7097]

They are ready to fight at all times ! Long live the Royal Navy !👽

[@loblollyboy5316]

Like the green wheelie bin

[@rat_king-]

I always wonder how you got your footage.

[@mrpusser0348]

via the upper scupper flip flop route

[@lachlanchester8142]

A camera

[@christopherhume8896]

The bottom bars on that metal frame annoy me, the trolley jack has to bump over them and they hate that. I assume there's a reason they don't run front to back.

[@christopherhume8896]

@Rob Wilton "The floor moves". True British understatement. 😁

[@TunaCrunch]

Im aware you do roughly 4 months on 3 months off on rotation but what are the working weeks like, do you work 7 days a week and how many hours per day in RFA?

[@cubs1949]

Would have preferred to see the QE from the RFA

[@cksbricks7791]

How they going to replen PWLS with ammo in 2025 @navylookout?

[@damienelliott4906]

Where is the csg at present?

[@TT-hd3zi]

Somewhere in the Pacific or Philippine Sea. Almost definitely South of Japan and North of Guam because that’s where individual ships were recently alongside.

[@damienelliott4906]

@@TT-hd3zi thanks for the reply ...I knew they'd left Japan..just wasn't sure of the heading after the fact 🇬🇧

[@johnny_pilot]

Off of Okinawa. 😊

[@seanchan4725]

just curious. Why did they do it while the ships were moving? Wouldn't it be easier if both vessels are stationary?(and save some fuels at the same time?)

[@scottwhiting1871]

If the ship's we're stationary then they would be bouncing around in the swell, much easier to do it on the move.

[@TunaCrunch]

I'd imagine because you wouldn't get that opportunity during war

[@iainstewart9844]

And I am sure we used to carry out a zig zag pattern in 1974/5 during RASs in Task Group 317.2 nine month deployment to the Far East.

[@michaelmitchell6629]

No carrier strike group can be deployed away from home long time like ft victoria doing now without it's help

[@danblackman9506]

Lol good to see the urgency in the young lads

[@Music5362]

Can't help thinking this should be automated in some way. All those guys standing about. Doesn't look very efficient.

[@jonahsgang8830]

Where is she currently is she South China Sea or Persian gulf

[@MM22966]

Must give the RN a warm fuzzy feeling down in its socks to have a carrier again.

[@1981MJD]

Even more of a warm fuzzy feeling to have 2 carriers :-)

[@adsheff]

RFA Fort Victoria seems to have a domestic air conditioner stuck on the outside of it - surely this kind of thing is integrated in a ship like this?!

[@Paul_707]

I think (if I’m looking at the same thing), that it’s on the back of a crane cab?

[@adsheff]

@@Paul_707 if you look at 3:22 its top left just above and to the right of the life rafts

[@FirstDagger]

Don't see a problem if that thing is rated for maritime conditions.

[@Paddington60]

Isn't it for the crane cab, not so easy to connect that to the ship wide AC.

[@Paul_707]

@@adsheff yes, that’s what I meant. It’s on the crane which is turned inboard.

[@888ssss]

these are called RAS operations. RAS stands for Removal And Storage.

[@baldpancake5404]

Replenishment at sea.

[@oliversparks1459]

Very Surprised No Gloves Used

[@ThatCarGuy]

Keep it up UK. Glad to see your Navy returning. Hope you get more Type 45s or talk to the US about buying AB class destroyers. Also hope you get nuclear carriers before China. Would be really cool for an Island nation. Keep it up.

[@Autofleet4429]

More T45's not gonna happen same with the arleigh Burke too much money plus must of the systems on the ABs the RN doesn't use so its a new systems to have to train/maintain on only a handful of ships plus the ABs have a 33% increase in crew compared to the T45's which is not what the RN wants when it struggles to crew what its already got. The government has announced the T83 Class destroyer which will hopefully bring an increase in total unit numbers but that's a 50/50 as to is that will be the case. The MOD doesn't want nuclear carriers the pros are outweighed by the increased cost, manning, maintenance, and upkeep, the carrier still needs to refuel it's aviation fuel tanks once a week anyway so it will just refuel then.

[@ThatCarGuy]

​@@Autofleet4429 Why do people always try to argue on a comment praising a nation. The AB class is cheaper then the type 45 do to block buys. " Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula has been awarded a $936 million contract for the construction of an additional Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Flight III destroyer for the U.S. Navy. In 2018, Ingalls was awarded a $5.1 billion fixed-price incentive, multiyear contract for construction of six Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyers for the U.S. Navy." The UK has already studied buying AB class destroyers if the US were to allow them the rights, thats the biggest issue. "The cost of the Destroyers is also indicative of another structural problem, the fact that the defence budget is also used as part of an industrial strategy. The destroyers like most of the UK’s equipment, are produced domestically and expensively in order to support the UK arms industry. Had the UK bought the equivalent American destroyers, the Arleigh Burke class, it could have done so at half the price getting twice the capability, 12, at the same cost." Im glad you speak for the MOD. Nuclear carriers are better in every single way other then initial cost. Conventional can cost more based on how many missions they go on as they need constant fuel, more maintenance, support ships need to be built and fueled, etc. "the carrier still needs to refuel it's aviation fuel tanks once a week " The Nimitz class carries 90 days of supplies, it carries fuel for the entire fleet eliminating support ships needing to travel with the CSG as it is the support ship. "The ships normally carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days. Four distilling units enable NIMITZ-class engineers to make over 400,000 gallons of fresh water from seawater a day, for use by the propulsion plants, catapults and crew. The ship carries approximately 3 million gallons of fuel for her aircraft and escorts, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment."

[@rogerloughney1972]

I detect a patronising tone. The RN was never away.

[@ThatCarGuy]

@@rogerloughney1972 What? The UK fleet is small and has been building up. The UK fleet literally has only 6 destroyers, 13 frigates, 11 submarines, etc with around 70 total ships. Its small. You have been building it back up which is good. Crazy how people can get upset over a positive comment. You guys act like I'm saying the UK sucks or something.

[@anon4214]

@@ThatCarGuy Not true on cost or maintenance of nuclear vs conventional aircraft carriers. From a US GAO report: www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-98-1.pdf "conventionally powered carriers spend less time in extended maintenance, and as a result, they can provide more forward presence coverage. By the same token, nuclear carriers can store larger quantities of aviation fuel and munitions and, as a result, are less dependent upon at-sea replenishment." and "Investment, operating and support, and inactivation and disposal costs are greater for nuclear-powered carriers than conventionally powered carriers. GAO’s analysis, based on an analysis of historical and projected costs, shows that life-cycle costs for conventionally powered and nuclear-powered carriers (for a notional 50-year service life) are estimated at $14.1 billion and $22.2 billion (in fiscal year 1997 dollars), respectively." Nuclear carriers are great for the US, but for a country with the resources/infrastructure of the UK conventional carriers are good enough, affordable and provide good availability.

[@MrBBBLADY]

👍👍👍❤️

[@michaelmitchell6629]

Glad uk navy doing what my old ship did in first lebanon war I served in

[@michaelmitchell6629]

Uss white plains afs4 my first ship

[@lawrencedwyer8678]

All shown from Jolly Jack position should have been from the DELIVERY end more interesting

[@sergiodesouzajunior3962]

Compro a fragata toda por 20bilhoes manda para a base do rio de janeiro Niterói brasil marinha

[@manus.P118.8]

Why are not wearing gloves ...

[@musa7010]

This super carrier instills fear in the hearts of enemies Fear of oil spill 😂

[@grahamlongley8298]

. What are the 3 puppets doing in the box at the back? Guarding the truncheon in case the crocodile comes & nicks all the sausages ?

[@patrickpope1828]

Seems slightly unlikely they would embark ‘dead’ ammunition

[@thegrinch8161]

I can’t get past my rather misguided views on the Q E and before anyone tries to spout facts and figures I’m nae interested and I’ll just delete them, I do however applaud and appreciate the jobs that these men and women do onboard any aircraft carrier

[@soilentgreen7]

you can't delete them, this is you tube

[@thegrinch8161]

@@soilentgreen7 thank you for the information but please bear with me as I'm an almost a technophobe who still wishes there wasn't any mobile phones and the tablet I'm using was a crimbo present from 2 years ago

[@keeli5575]

The kids watching being taught how to do it is cute.

[@MM22966]

Plenty of slack...but not TOO much slack!

[@adamwhite2121]

Don't seem to have much life in them, looks like quite a laid back job.

[@napoleonwon9196]

Doesn't the super duper fantastic RN give its workers safety gloves to handle ropes and cables? Shocking! Unacceptable in the construction industry. So old world!

[@poshgentleman559]

Very good......but if one of those Chinese anti carrier missiles connects with the ships magazine, then it will be a disaster, let's hope they can be stopped. Look at the devastation that a much smaller exocet missile did to HMS sheffield during the Falklands war. The Chinese ones in comparison are huge.

[@MetaView7]

YJ-18 but most people are still sleeping

[@tabyomper4745]

Cant believe there still using manual pallet trucks

[@keithskelhorne3993]

why?

[@MM22966]

The irony: You need live ammo to make people properly dead, but dead ammo is no threat to anyone.

[@sunrayisdown1690]

Live ammunition ? Get real please !

[@alexanderperry1844]

Am I the only one to wonder why they are all wearing hard hats? What is going to fall on their heads?

[@allenseeallendo5844]

Billions dollar ship doesn’t even have an electric pallet jack. Jeeesh

[@keithskelhorne3993]

electrics can fail, there's always an arm to pump some thing ;)

[@allenseeallendo5844]

@@keithskelhorne3993 Hahaha, i guess they have to keep 1500 people busy somehow.

[@keithskelhorne3993]

@@allenseeallendo5844 cor, aint you the master of repartee? ;) now alot of people know that your wrist is pumping faster than your brain :) xx

[@ianwatson129]

Wow what an oversight by the MOD, the ship is now doomed, it will now sink tomorrow!! I love it when the armchair expert trolls find fault with everything, must be so satisfying to be an expert on everything and let the world know all about it.

[@allenseeallendo5844]

@@ianwatson129 It’s an observation not an analysis on a ships ability to operate. Calm down.

[@sparkiegaz3613]

No gloves,,things must be bad,,,cut back no doubt,,,who’s in charge needs get act together still fort vic holding up well considering just how old she is … 1994 c lock portsmouth dockyard fixing all the sabotage that norther ship yards committed upon her,,, still lots hours for meeeeeee. Hopefully the type 26 turn up in a mess,, well I’m sure they will

[@richardstoker4963]

Gloves are banned from RAS'S safety reasons. One mistake with SWR and it will not only remove the finger of your glove it'll take the skin and flesh off down to the bones. I was a seaman specialist in the Royal Navy till 2007 and this was my bread and butter.

[@lachlanchester8142]

I know people like to exaggerate and have a laugh about the military budget, but even if they were allowed during ras’, the Royal Navy can afford gloves fella

[@richardstoker4963]

@@lachlanchester8142 that's the rules mate. No gloves and certainly no rings. Have you seen any de gloved fingers on a RAS? It's got nothing to do with budgeting or financial cuts, before a RAS the chief buffer or petty officer, killick make sure that all rings are removed. How many RAS'S have you done?

[@lachlanchester8142]

@@richardstoker4963 umm did you not read my reply? When I said ‘if they were allowed during ras’ that meant that I was agreeing they’re not allowed during a ras

[@richardstoker4963]

@@lachlanchester8142 sorry. I didn't have my reading glasses on mate.