The Duke of Edinburgh Visits RFA Tidesurge at Balaena Birkenhead

Balaena was proud to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to our Birkenhead shipyard this week, where he visited RFA Tidesurge during her substantial refit programme.

As Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, The Duke toured the vessel to see first-hand the scale of work currently being delivered and met members of the RFA ship’s company alongside Balaena teams supporting the programme.

The refit represents a significant package of work, comprising approximately 1,200 maintenance tasks and 38 capability enhancements. Activity spans key areas of the vessel, including the hull, propulsion system and bow thruster, alongside a broad range of engineering, maintenance and upgrade works.

During the visit, His Royal Highness met some of the skilled people delivering the programme and heard more about the work being undertaken to maintain and enhance the operational capability of RFA Tidesurge.

The visit marked another important moment for our Birkenhead yard and provided an opportunity to recognise the expertise, commitment and teamwork behind one of the major defence programmes currently being delivered on site.

Following a particularly significant week for Birkenhead, it was a privilege to welcome His Royal Highness and showcase the people, skills and capability supporting the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the wider UK maritime sector.

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