RFA Olmeda (A124)

RFA Olmeda at sea
History
Name: RFA Olmeda
Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallend, Tyne and Wear
Yard number: 2004
Laid down: 27 August 1963
Launched: 19 November 1964
Commissioned: 18 October 1965, as Oleander
Decommissioned: January 1994
Renamed:
  • Olmeda, 4 December 1967
  • Niaxco, 5 July 1994
Fate: Arrived Alang for demolition, 17 August 1994
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Ol-class tanker
Displacement: 33,240 long tons (33,773 t) full load
Length: 648 ft (198 m)
Beam: 84 ft 2 in (25.65 m)
Draught: 24 ft (290 in)
Propulsion: 2 × PAMETRADA steam turbines, double reduction geared, single shaft
Speed: 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h)
Range: 10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h)
Complement:
  • 88 RFA
  • 40 RN
Armament:
  • 2 × 20 mm guns
  • 2 × Chaff launchers
Aircraft carried: 3 × Wessex or Sea King helicopters
Service record
Operations:

RFA Olmeda (A124) was an Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The second of her class, Olmeda came into service in late 1965 as Oleander. As with its sister ships, Olmeda's early service was routine. However, the ship had to be renamed from Oleander to Olmeda to avoid confusion with HMS Leander.

Olmeda saw extensive service during the Falklands War, being one of the first ships to head south. The ship took part in the recapture of Thule Island. Unlike the other two members of the class, Olmeda did not serve in the Persian Gulf during the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, but accompanied HMS Ark Royal in the Eastern Mediterranean, acting as station tanker, refuelling Ark Royal and her task group, and supporting other ships on their way to and from Operation Granby.

Olmeda's service came to an end a great deal earlier than Olwen and Olna. In 1993, the ship was decommissioned, and was sold for scrapping to an Indian company.

References

RFA Olmeda at Portsmouth, March 1994


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