RFA Tarbatness

RFA Tarbatness (A345) was a fleet stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.^[1]

RFA Tarbatness (A345)
History
United Kingdom
Name	RFA Tarbatness
Namesake	likely for Tarbat Ness in Scotland
Ordered	7 December 1964
Builder	Swan Hunter
Yard number	2018
Laid down	15 April 1966
Launched	28 February 1967
Commissioned	10 August 1967
Decommissioned	1980
Fate	Chartered by US MSC, later bought
United States
Name	USNS Spica
Acquired	30 September 1981
Commissioned	1 November 1981
Decommissioned	26 January 2008
Renamed	5 November 1981
Fate	Sunk as target in Training exercise Sinkex, 9 May 2009.
General characteristics
Class & type	Ness-class combat stores ship
Displacement	16,792 long tons (17,061 t) full load
Length	523 ft 4 in (159.51 m)
Beam	72 ft 3 in (22.02 m)
Draft	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Propulsion	1 × 8-cylinder Sulzer diesel
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h)
Complement	110 RFA + 50 Stores Working Party
Aviation facilities	Fitted with a flight deck but no hangar facilities until purchased by USMSC

In 1981, the ship was bought by the United States Military Sealift Command to serve as USNS Spica (T-AFS-9).^[1]