Broken RFA Argus "due to be towed" from Portsmouth after "mark of death" painted on her amid scrap rumours
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A broken naval support ship that has been stuck at Portsmouth Naval Base for several months is expected to leave soon.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Argus is due to leave HMNB Portsmouth imminently, though her future is still uncertain. Independent defence outlet Navy Lookout reports that the ship is “due to be towed to Falmouth later this month to be laid up, pending a final decision on her future”.
When a vessel is laid up, it’s taken out of service and officials make a judgement on whether it’s worth keeping or removing her. RFA Argus was rigged up for a tow earlier this week, suggesting that her stay in Portsmouth is coming to an end.
Workers were seen painting a white line on the vessel in January, which is colloquially known by defence commentators as the “mark of death”. It’s drawn along the waterline to indicate to provide an indicator on if the ship is taking on water. Former Commanding Officer for the Primary Casualty Ship, Captain Simon Booth, previously said he was not surprised by the state of the ship and a replacement should have been in commission a long time ago.
RFA Argus had her safety certificate withdrawn in the summer of 2025 as she was unsafe to sail. Discussions have been held since on whether to scrap or repair the ship. Sailors are currently being balloted for strike action over poor pay and working conditions, rejecting an offer last month which was described as “wholly inadequate”. RFA employees are civilians and are regularly deployed alongside the Royal Navy to extent their operations.
Despite the problems, Labour MP Louise Sandher-Jones said the force is meeting its targets. Responding to a parliamentary written question, she added: “The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) remains an integral part of the Royal Navy and its collective ability to deliver operational effect in conjunction with our allies around the world.
“The RFA continue to meet their operational commitments, and we are dedicated to resolving the current industrial dispute through continuing dialogue with their trade unions.”
Armed forces minister Al Carns said: “The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) maintains its vessels at the required safe-crewing levels to meet all operational commitments. Crewing requirements vary by ship class and operational tasking; however, all RFA vessels deployed on operations or held at readiness are crewed to the levels necessary to ensure safety, compliance, and effective delivery of defence outputs.
“The Ministry of Defence continues to monitor RFA workforce levels closely and is taking forward a range of measures to support recruitment, training, and retention across the service. For security reasons, detailed operational crewing figures are not disclosed.”