RFA Grey Rover (A269)

RFA Grey Rover (A269) was a Rover class small fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was decommissioned in 2006.

Launch and commissioning
Grey Rover was launched at the Swan Hunter yard, Hebburn on Tyne, on 17 April 1969. The Lady Sponsor was Lady Parker, the wife of Vice Admiral Sir John Parker KBE, CB, DSC who was Flag Officer Medway. She was completed on 10 April 1970 and accepted into service 3-months later than planned. In September 1970, she took over from Black Ranger as FOST tanker.

Operation Corporate
During Operation Corporate (the Falklands War), Grey Rover was the only operational RFA tanker which remained on the home coast. She carried out RAS trials with STUFT ships en route to the Falkland Islands in the SW Approaches to the English Channel whilst herself based at Portland. The smallest vessel worked with was the trawler F/V Farnella and the largest was the liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2.

Drugs seizure
On 2 February 2006, while supporting the Type 42 destroyer HMS Southampton in the Caribbean as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (North), Grey Rover was involved in the boarding of merchant vessel M/V Rampage and the seizure of 3.5t of cocaine with an estimated street value of £350 million.

Decommissioning
Grey Rover's last refit was 15 June - 27 November 1998 which extended her service life into the 21st century. On 1 November 2004, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Lord Bach announced that Grey Rover would have a decommissioning date of 2007. She paid off early on 15 March 2006 and was towed to Canada Dock, Liverpool for scrapping.