The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ordered four Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) ships, LSD(A), partly to replace aging Sir class vessels. The re-opened Swan Hunter Shipbuilders at Wallsend on Tyneside was selected as the lead yard to carry out the design of the class and build the first two vessels (to be named RFA Largs Bay and RFA Lyme Bay) whilst two others (RFA Mounts Bay and RFA Cardigan Bay) were ordered from BAE Systems which had recently taken over the Govan shipyard on Clydeside from Kvaerner Govan.

This view shows the first blocks of Mounts Bay on the ways at Govan on 15th June 2003

The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ordered four Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) ships, LSD(A), partly to replace aging Sir class vessels. The re-opened Swan Hunter Shipbuilders at Wallsend on Tyneside was selected as the lead yard to carry out the design of the class and build the first two vessels (to be named RFA Largs Bay and RFA Lyme Bay) whilst two others (RFA Mounts Bay and RFA Cardigan Bay) were ordered from BAE Systems which had recently taken over the Govan shipyard on Clydeside from Kvaerner Govan.

This view shows the first blocks of Mounts Bay on the ways at Govan on 15th June 2003