Portland welcomed the latest vessel to join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, where it received its formal induction into active service.

The RFA Tideforce was dedicated at a service at Portland Port yesterday. The service was conducted by the Rev Prof Scott Shackleton.

This ship is the last of four new replenishment tankers to be formally welcomed into active service, and it will be one of the largest ships in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the uniformed civilian branch of the Naval Service.

Although the vessel is affiliated to Weston-super-Mare, the ceremony took place on Portland due to its location between Portsmouth and Plymouth where the fleet exercises.

Captain Richard Davies, the ship's commanding officer, praised the speed at which the ship had been constructed – a process which took just 13 months.

He said: "People often forget who and what the RFA is. We take the best of the merchant marine and turn it into a fantastic support force for the Navy. Without the RFA, the Navy could not operate."

The guest of honour at the service was Lady Sarah Messenger, the Lady Sponsor of the new vessel and wife of former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Gordon Messenger.

The four new ships, including the Tideforce, are Military Afloat Research and Sustainability (MARS) Tankers, which will help supply water and fuel to vessels of the Royal Navy, NATO and allied warships across the globe.

These vessels are larger then previous models, and are designed to be able to support Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

Commodore Duncan Lamb, head of the RFA service, said: "I am indebted to all from the UK and abroad who have contributed to the success of the project and the ship's company of RFA Tideforce who have provided the final piece of the jigsaw by bringing the ship alive through delivery, trials and training."

The MARS Tankers will not only support the Royal Navy, but will also undertake other maritime operations such as policing shipping lanes and providing humanitarian aid.

Vice Admiral Chris Gardner, said: "This event marks one of the final milestones of this major shipbuilding programme and affords a moment to reflect on the vital importance of the work DE&S does to provide our armed forces with the equipment and support they need.

"The MARS Tanker acquisition project pioneered a number of important innovations which are informing current and future programmes and demanded a lot of everyone involved."