RFA Diligence ( A132 ) RFA " Diligence " ( A132 ) is a fleet repair ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . Launch and the Falklands War . " Diligence " was built by Öresundsvarvet AB , in Landskrona , Sweden and launched in 1981 as a civilian oil rig support ship . She first served the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ( RFA ) during the Falklands War as a civilian owned ship taken up from the trade ( " STUFT " ) . As MV " Stena Inspector " , the ship repaired many British vessels . " Stena Inspector " was purchased by the Government in 1983 for £25 million from Stena ( UK ) Line and renamed " Diligence " . She was sailed to the Clyde Dock Engineering facility , where she was converted and military features added , including a large workshop for hull and machinery repairs , supply facilities , accommodation , armaments and magazines and communications fits . Facilities . She is designed to provide forward repair and maintenance facilities to ships and submarines operating away from their home ports , so in addition to a variety of workshops she can also provide overside electrical supplies , fuel , water and sullage reception . RFA Diligence provides a large workshop facility for Royal Navy vessels , this is equipped with specialist machinery such as Arc welding equipment , lathes , pillar drills , grinders , band saws and a large store of spares . Diligence is the Royal Navy ' s primary battle damage repair unit , and is on short notice to react to developing situations worldwide . One of the key features of the ship ' s design is her computer - assisted dynamic positioning system which can keep the vessel static in poor conditions , using the ship ' s range of thrusters and the variable - pitch propeller . She has a helicopter deck on the roof of her bridge that is large enough to support a CH - 47 Chinook . Another great advantage of the ship is her hull is built to the highest ice class specification , so she can operate anywhere the Navy does . Later history . " Diligence " has provided damage repair work many times during its lifetime . At the end of the Iran – Iraq War , the Straits of Hormuz were mined , and " Diligence " supported the multinational minesweeping operation to clear that vital chokepoint . " Diligence " also helped to repair HMS " Southampton " after collision damage . The ship returned to the Persian Gulf in 1990 to support operations during the Gulf War by repairing , among others , American ships damaged by mines . During Operation Ocean Wave 97 , " Diligence " deployed to the Far East as a submarine support ship . The following year , the ship supported 3rd Mine Counter - Measures Squadron in the Persian Gulf . Following just two weeks in the UK , " Diligence " departed for the south Atlantic , returning to Faslane in December 1998 . Early 1999 saw the ship again deployed to the Falklands region . 2001 saw a large exercise in Oman , and " Diligence " supported the four MCMV s involved . The ship ' s next wartime assignment came with the large taskforce deployed against Iraq in 2003 . Returning to familiar territory , " Diligence " supported the largest British fleet deployed since the Falklands War . Most recently she could be found off Sierra Leone with the Vela task force . When the ship returned to UK in November 2006 she had the longest deployment of an RFA in recent times . From her departure from Portsmouth it was 5 and half years before she returned home to Portsmouth . In that time she has visited 25 different countries whilst steaming some , through the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf , across the Indian Ocean to India , Sri Lanka and Singapore , the South China Sea to the Philippines and from South Africa across the Atlantic to the Falklands and South America . Many of these Oceans and countries visited 2 or 3 times . All this work took its toll on the 25 - year - old ship , and the ship was given a £16 million overhaul during 2007 at Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders in Birkenhead . Her accommodation areas , galley and engine room were all upgraded , with the intention of extending the ship ' s service life until the middle of the next decade . The overhaul was completed in December 2007 . In 2013 , Diligence will be part of the COUGAR 13 task group , ready to attend to any of the other ship ' s engineering requirements