The Bay class was designed as a replacement for the Round Table-class logistics ships operated by the RFA. The new design was based on the Royal Schelde Enforcer design; a joint project between the Dutch and Spanish resulting in the Rotterdam-class and Galicia-class amphibious warfare ships. The main difference with the British ships is the lack of a helicopter hangar. The ships were originally designated "auxiliary landing ship logistics" or ALSL, but this was changed in 2002 to "landing ship dock " or LSD, better reflecting their operational role. Four ships were ordered; two from Swan Hunter, and two from BAE Systems Naval Ships. The Bay-class ships have a full load displacement of. Each is long, with a beam of, and a draught of. Propulsion power is provided by two Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, providing, and two Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, providing. These are used to drive two steerable azimuth thrusters, with a bow thruster supplementing. Maximum speed is, and the Bay-class ships can achieve a range of at. For self-defence, Cardigan Bay is armed with two 30 mm DS30B cannons, four Mk.44 miniguns, six 7.62mm L7 GPMGs, and two Phalanx CIWS. The standard ship's company consists of 60 officers and sailors. As a sealift ship, Cardigan Bay is capable of carrying up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks or 150 light trucks in 1,150 linear metres of space. The cargo capacity is equivalent of 200 tons of ammunition, or 24 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers. During normal conditions, a Bay-class ship can carry 356 soldiers, but this can be almost doubled to 700 in overload conditions. Helicopters are not routinely carried on board, but a temporary hangar can be fitted and the flight deck is capable of handling helicopters up to the size of Chinooks, as well as Merlin helicopters and Ospreytiltrotor aircraft. The well dock can carry one LCU Mark 10 or two LCVPs, and two Mexeflotes can be suspended from the ship's flanks. Two 30-ton cranes are fitted between the superstructure and the flight deck. Cardigan Bay and sister ship were ordered from BAE on 19 November 2001. Cardigan Bay was laid down at BAE's shipyard at Govan, Scotland on 13 October 2003. Plans to launch the ship on 8 April 2005 were frustrated by high winds and unusually low tides; the naming ceremony was carried out that day, and the actual launching took place the next day, with more favourable tide conditions. Cardigan Bay was dedicated on 18 December 2006, the third of the class to enter service with the RFA.
Operational history
Cardigan Bay has been deployed as part of the Royal Navy Response Force Task Group, carrying elements of 40 Commando. In June 2011, the vessel headed to Yemen to aid with the potential evacuation of British citizens affected by the ongoing unrest in Yemen. In July 2011, she docked at Berbera, and a landing craft from Cardigan Bay landed two BvS 10 Viking armoured vehicles and Royal Marines of 539 Assault Squadron in Somaliland. They penetrated several miles of "bandit country" to meet up with an important clan chief and take him back to Cardigan Bay for a meeting with MI6 and Foreign Office officials. This was part of Exercise Somaliland Cougar, an operation to train Somali coastguards in anti-piracy techniques and to establish relationships with tribal leaders. In 2013, Cardigan Bay exercised with the COUGAR 13 task group. While East of Suez, Cardigan Bay participated in several exercises including IMCMEX 2014. Upon her return to the UK, Cardigan Bay underwent a major refit in Falmouth followed by sea trials and FOST in April 2017 in preparation for deployment later in the year. By June 2017, Cardigan Bay was back in the Indian Ocean and assisted HMS Monmouth in the rescue of a crewman from the sunken tanker Rama 2. Cardigan Bay is now the support ship permanently based at HMS Jufairsupporting the Royal Navy on Operation Kipion.
