Royal Navy: Falklands War ship RFA Dilligence to be scrapped after being Portsmouth harbour fixture for years

RFA Dilligence has been an attraction in Portsmouth harbour for years, but her life is now expected to come to an end. A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: "RFA Diligence was decommissioned in 2015 and has been transferred to the Defence Equipment Sales Authority for disposal.

"The Royal Fleet Auxiliary continues to fulfil all its commitments.” The forward repair ship and her crew were tasked with fixing and maintaining the facilities of other vessels and submarines while they were away from their home ports.

She was equipped with specialised machinery including arc welding equipment, lathes, pillar drills, grinders, band saws and a large store of spares - while being utilised as primary battle damage repair unit. RFA Dilligence was launched in 1981 and built in Landskrona, Sweden.

She was initially set up to be a civilian oil rig support vessel, but was chartered by the British government during The Falklands War in 1982. Previously known as MV Stena Inspector, government officials purchased the ship in 1983 for £25m. She was used in multiple forward deployed situations since, including as a support ship for USS Tripoli and USS Princeton during The Gulf War in 1991.

The vessel was also deployed in response to humanitarian disasters including a tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2005. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) put the vessel up for sale in 2016, but by 2023, no suitable buyers came forward. She previously underwent a £17.6m refit between June 2012 and February 2013, after a previous £16m overhaul in 2007.