Archer class patrol vessel
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| Archer-class |  |
|---|---|
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 49 tons (Raider, Tracker; 54 tons) |
| Length: | 20.8 m |
| Beam: | 5.8 m |
| Draught: | 1.8 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 shafts, Rolls Royce M800T diesels, 1,590 bhp (Tracker, Raider; MTU V12 diesels) |
| Speed: | 12 kts (Tracker, Raider; 22 kts) |
| Range: | 550 nm at 15 kts |
| Complement: | 5 (RN), 1 training officer (RNR), 12 students (URNU) or 12 (RN) |
| Armament: | Usually none |
| Electronics: | Decca 1216 navigation radar |
The Archer-class is a class of patrol and training vessel in service with the British Royal Navy (RN). Ten vessels were ordered as the P2000 class, based on a design of an Omani coastguard cutter, from Watercraft Marine. They are twin-shaft vessels with moulded glass-reinforced plastic hulls. After that company went into liquidation, the balance of the order was completed by Vosper Thornycroft.
The Archers were initially used as RN patrol craft and as training tenders for the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) and University Royal Naval Units (URNU). Four identical vessels were ordered for the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) as Example-class tenders. When that service was disbanded in 1994, the Examples were transferred to the RN for similar duties as their Archer-class brethren.
In 1998 two additional vessels of this design were commissioned into the RN from Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, to replace HMS Loyal Watcher and Loyal Chancellor as URNU tenders to Cambridge and Oxford Universities respectively. This brought the total of Archer class vessels in the RN to 16, all of which are assigned to the 1st Patrol Boat Squadron (1PBS). Since 1991, 14 have been attached to URNUs (one per unit) under the command of a Lieutenant, RN. The remaining 2 vessels currently (2006) form the Cyprus Squadron. Ranger and Trumpeter were also formerly allocated to the Gibraltar Squadron for guard ship and search and rescue duties, but were replaced by the dedicated Scimitar-class. In this role they could be armed with pintle-mounted L7 7.62mm GPMG machine guns.
Contents |
[edit] Vessels
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Commissioned | Deployment (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archer | P264 | Watercraft Marine, Shoreham-by-Sea | 1985 | Aberdeen URNU |
| Biter | P270 | Watercraft | 1986 | Manchester URNU |
| Smiter | P272 | Watercraft | 1988 | Glasgow URNU |
| Pursuer | P273 | Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston | 1988 | Cyprus Squadron |
| Blazer | P279 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Southampton URNU |
| Dasher | P280 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Cyprus Squadron |
| Puncher | P291 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | London URNU |
| Charger | P292 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Liverpool URNU |
| Ranger | P293 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Sussex URNU |
| Trumpeter | P294 | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Bristol URNU |
| Example (ex-XSV Example) | P165 (ex-A153) | Watercraft | 1985 | Northumbrian URNU |
| Explorer (ex-XSV Explorer) | P164(ex-A154) | Watercraft | 1986 | Yorkshire URNU |
| Express (ex-XSV Express) | P163 (ex-A163) | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Wales URNU |
| Exploit (ex-XSV Exploit) | P167 (ex-A167) | Vosper Thornycroft | 1988 | Birmingham URNU |
| Tracker | P274 | Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon | 1998 | Oxford URNU |
| Raider | P275 | Alisa | 1998 | Cambridge URNU |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Britain's Modern Royal Navy, Paul Beaver, Patrick Stephens Limited, 1996, ISBN 1-85260-442-5
- Today's Royal Navy in Colour, Jeremy Flack, Greenwich Editions, 1996, ISBN 0-86288-089-0
