On current plans Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus will be withdrawn from service in 2020. No decisions have been taken on the upgrading of RFA Argus, though we are considering our options for the future provision of a Joint Casualty Treatment Ship capability.
During the twelve months from 30 June 2005 to 1 July 2006, there were no additions or deletions to forward plans to the refit of Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships. Refits are, however, part of a wider upkeep programme, from which there have been seventeen deletions, but no additions. These deletions, which remove projects between 2006 and 2020, are listed in the following table:
Ship Reason for the deletion 2008 HMS Illustrious Replaced with alternative maintenance 2010 HMS Illustrious Replaced with alternative maintenance 2006 RFA Sir Tristram Reviewed and no longer required 2012 HMS Ark Royal Reviewed and no longer required 2015 HMS Ocean Reviewed and no longer required 2007 HMS Endurance Revised maintenance cycle 2008 HMS Roebuck Revised maintenance cycle 2011 HMS Scott Revised maintenance cycle 2012 HMS Endurance Revised maintenance cycle 2014 HMS Endurance Revised maintenance cycle 2014 HMS Roebuck Revised maintenance cycle 2017 HMS Quorn Revised maintenance cycle 2017 HMS Scott Revised maintenance cycle 2018 HMS Chiddingfold Revised maintenance cycle 2019 HMS Middleton Revised maintenance cycle 2020 HMS Hurworth Revised maintenance cycle 2020 HMS Scott Revised maintenance cycle
RN and RFA ships are not specifically scheduled for upgrades, since equipment is upgraded when the opportunity arises, usually as part of an upkeep period. Opportunities to undertake upgrades are kept under regular review and can change for operational reasons.