RFA Lyme Bay

RFA Lyme Bay in the Mediterranean, 2020
History
United Kingdom
Name	RFA Lyme Bay
Namesake	Lyme Bay, Dorset
Ordered	18 December 2000
Builder	Swan Hunter / BAE Systems
Laid down	22 November 2002
Launched	3 September 2005
In service	26 November 2007
Homeport	Falmouth[1] (forward deployed as part of Littoral Response Group (South))[2]
Identification	IMO number: 9240768 Pennant number: L3007 Deck code: YB
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Bay-class landing ship dock
Displacement	16,160 t (15,905 long tons) full load
Length	579.4 ft (176.6 m)
Beam	86.6 ft (26.4 m)
Draught	19 ft (5.8 m)
Propulsion	2 × Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) 2 × Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, 9,000 hp (6.7 MW) 2 × azimuth thrusters 1 × bow thruster
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 LCU or 2 LCVP in well deck; Mexeflote powered rafts
Capacity	1,150 linear metres of vehicles (up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks or 150 light trucks) Cargo capacity of 200 tons ammunition or 24 TEU containers
Troops	356 standard, 700 overload
Complement	60
Armament	2 × DS30B Mk 1 30 mm guns[3][4] 2 × Phalanx CIWS[5][6] 4 × 7.62mm Mk.44 Miniguns (may be replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023)[7] 6 × 7.62mm L7 GPMGs
Aircraft carried	Not routinely carried but a temporary hangar can be fitted.
Aviation facilities	Flight deck can operate helicopters up to Chinook size

RFA Lyme Bay is a Bay-class auxiliary dock landing ship (LSD(A)) of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Ordered from Swan Hunter in 2000, the ship was launched in 2005. However, cost overruns and delays saw the shipbuilder removed from the project, and the incomplete ship was towed to Govan for finishing by BAE Systems Naval Ships. Lyme Bay entered service in late 2007; the last ship of the class to join the RFA.