RFA Lyme Bay's return to active duty is being brought forward, to be available to conduct a role that for preference would have been carried out by a servicable Argus or a replacement for her.
The Royal Navy is preparing RFA Lyme Bay to sail from Gibraltar if required. In the event of the Middle East crisis expanding, she has the capability to evacuate civilians and has modest medical facilities.
Although retaining some of her crew, Lyme Bay has been inactive alongside in Gibraltar since completing a 3-week maintenance period at GibDock in December. She had not been expected to return to operations until the start of the new financial year in April. This measure, to achieve very small savings, demonstrates how desperately tight the MoD’s RDEL (daily running expenses) budget has become.
Instead, she was reactivated last week, and medical personnel and supplies are being flown into Gibraltar to embark on the ship, along with a contingent of Royal Marines and a helicopter (most likely a Merlin Mk 4).
(Navy Lookout)