RFA Fort Austin ( A386 ) RFA " Fort Austin " ( A386 ) is a British Fort Rosalie - class dry stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . " Fort Austin " was laid down at Scott Lithgow in 1975 , launched in 1978 and commissioned in 1979 . These ships were designed to carry a wide range of dry stores to support fleet taskforces ; ammunition , food , explosives . They have extensive aviation facilities , with two flight decks , one to the stern and one spot on top of the hangar , up to four Sea Kings can be stored in the large hangar . These ships also have the capability to replenish ships at sea , via six RAS points . Operational history . Falklands War 1982 . When the Falklands War began , the ship was deployed in the western Mediterranean for the annual Spring Train exercise , and received orders to head south , taking part in the landings at San Carlos Water as a stores and ammunition ship . When the order to head south was given , several warships had the WE . 177 A nuclear weapon deployed aboard . Amongst these were the Type 22 frigate s and and the aircraft carriers and . Some newspaper reports also named RFA " Fort Austin " . The Ministry of Defence explored various options to transfer these nuclear weapons from the frigates to the safety of the deep magazines aboard " Fort Austin " , HMS " Hermes " and HMS " Invincible " . An MoD publication describes a complex series of manoeuvres to avoid the presence of these nuclear warheads in areas that would break the UK obligation to the Treaty of Tlatelolco , often referred to as the Latin - America Nuclear Free Zone . In no circumstances could ships carrying nuclear weapons enter territorial waters around the Falkland Islands . After the conflict ended , weapons were transferred at sea to the two RFAs " Fort Austin " and " Resource " for transport back to the UK . 2000s . In 2000 , the ship supported the British military intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War . Beginning in September 2007 , the ship underwent a major refit and modernization at the A & P Tyne shipyard in Hebburn , Tyne and Wear In July 2009 , RFA " Fort Austin " was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Portsmouth Naval Base . Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010 it was decided to reactivate her at the expense of the larger RFA " Fort George " , which would be decommissioned . 2010s . On 27 May 2011 " Fort Austin " left Portsmouth under tow by the Belgian tug " Union Wrestler " and tug " Svitzer Pembroke " for a £40m refit at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead . This refit was intended to keep her in service until 2021 . Later that year it was announced that her service life would be extended until 2023 ; the Fort class will ultimately be replaced by the Fleet Solid Support element of the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability programme . She left Birkenhead on 5 September 2012 , arriving three days later at DM Crombie in the Firth of Forth . She arrived back in Plymouth at the end of 2012 and spent early 2013 exercising in home waters . Currently at Crombie on the Firth of Forth , Leaving 09 / 08 / 13 Fort Austin will be part of the COUGAR 13 task group , providing stores , fuel , water , and ammunition