Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out of service date is for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Bay-class ships.

The Secretary of State confirmed in his speech to the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference on 14 May 2024 that up to six Multi Role Support Ships will replace our current amphibious fleet, including the Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries) and RFA Argus. The Multi Role Support Ship will come into service from the early 2030s.

To avoid compromising operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose individual out of service dates or specific in-service dates for naval vessels to avoid revealing elements of the fleet's long-term schedule.