Ramped powered lighter

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RPL06 entering Akrotiri harbour, Cyprus RPL06.jpg
RPL06 entering Akrotiri harbour, Cyprus

The ramped powered lighter (RPL) was a type of landing craft formerly operated by the Royal Corps of Transport of the British Army, from the 1960s until the 1990s. Performing similar tasks to the ramped cargo lighter of the Second World War, it had a vehicle deck that was 5.49 metres (18 ft 0 in) wide and 13.26 metres (43 ft 6 in) long, and a load capacity of 30.5 tonnes (30.0 long tons). From the early 1980s onwards it was replaced with the larger ramped craft logistic (RCL). The last RPL was in service in Belize until the main British Armed Forces presence was withdrawn from there in 1994.

Landing craft small and medium seagoing vessel used to convey a landing force

Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft such as boats, and barges, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States.

Royal Corps of Transport

The Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) was a British Army Corps established to manage all matters in relation to the transport of men and material for the Army and the wider Defence community. It was formed in 1965 and disbanded in 1993; its units and trades were amalgamated into the Royal Logistic Corps. The Depot and Training Regiment RCT was at Buller Barracks in Aldershot.

British Army land warfare branch of the British Armed Forces of the United Kingdom

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of British Armed Forces. As of 2018, the British Army comprises just over 81,500 trained regular (full-time) personnel and just over 27,000 trained reserve (part-time) personnel.

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References

"Defence Standard 00-3/Issue 3- Design Guidance For The Transportability Of Equipment", 27 May 1985, UK Ministry of Defence