Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay will rumble through Town Cut in St George this morning as the ship’s crew stop off in Bermuda for a stint of rest and relaxation.

The amphibious landing vessel is designed to be able to deliver a major fighting force of troops, vehicles, stores and ammunition anywhere in the world.

She is one of a fleet of four “Bay Class” ships and entered service with the RFA in 2007.

Lyme Bay was initially deployed for three years on a Maritime Security Patrol in the Persian Gulf, based in Bahrain, support coalition and allied forces. In 2010 the vessel sailed for Haiti just after the earthquake with supplies for rebuilding aboard including a large quantity of corrugated iron from Britain.

Three years later she joined Operation Atalanta, the EU’s counter-piracy force off Somalia.

Lyme Bay is part of the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group that is maintained at high-readiness and available at short notice to respond to unexpected global events.

She will remain in St George until she leaves the Island on Thursday stopping briefly in Dockyard to pick up fuel.