SOUTHAMPTON ships - military veterans of wars, conflicts and natural disasters throughout the globe - are to be replaced with a multi-million pound series of brand new vessels.

Over the years the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, all named after the Knights of the Round Table, have become a familiar sight on Southampton Water arriving and departing from Marchwood Military Port.

In recent times the rather ungainly ships, manned by many crew members from Hamp-shire, have worked ceaselessly all over the world and although perhaps not so glamorous and dashing as the warships of the Royal Navy, have played a central part in many international crisis zones.

It is the job of these ships to provide important back-up to the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Marines by carrying the mountain of stores, equipment and vehicles together with reinforcements needed in overseas trouble spots and military exercises and manoeuvres.

Now the Ministry of Defence has decided that new vessels will take over from Sir Geraint, Sir Percivale and Sir Tristram, all more than 30 years old, together with Sir Galahad, which entered service in 1987 after her namesake was destroyed by Argentinian forces during the Falklands conflict.

The fifth ship, Sir Bedivere, is expected to remain in service and operate side by side with the new LSLs.

Many local people will be especially sad to see the departure of Sir Tristram, sister ship of the original Sir Galahad lost during the bloody action of Bluff Cove in 1982.

The ship, a mass of twisted metal after a sudden air attack, was believed to be so badly crippled she would never sail again and for three years she was moored at the end of a small jetty in Port Stanley.

But she was brought back to the UK, arriving in Southampton after a £10 million refit to join the RFA once again.

In 1998 the 6,407 tonne, Sir Tristram went into action again after Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras and Nicaragua. Four years earlier Sir Geraint, Sir Galahad and Sir Bedivere were all sent to the Balkan region during the Bosnian war.

Among Sir Galahad's many deployments has been service in the Gulf and a four-month stint in 1995 helping to ease the poverty and suffering in war-torn Angola.

The £300 million orders for the new ships were part of a major government announcement aimed at boosting the RFA's task in amphibious warfare.

Designed to carry men and machinery, the new class of vessels, known as alternative landing ships logistic (LSL), should begin to join the fleet during 2004. They will displace around 16,000 tonnes, have a length of 577 feet and a beam of more than 85 feet. Compared with the present LSLs the new ships will have a far bigger carrying capacity and will be able to cope with up to 36 main battle tanks or 150 light tanks.

Flight decks will be much bigger.

Landing craft will come alongside a stern docking area to unload vehicles and equipment which will then be ferried ashore.

The first two of the new series of ships will be built at Swan Hunter, Tyneside, while the rest are expected to be constructed at the company's Govan yard.