HMS Cygnet |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Richard Dunston |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Planned: | 5 |
| Completed: | 5 |
| Retired: | 5 |
| Preserved: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Patrol vessel |
| Displacement: | 194 tonnes |
| Length: | 37.7 metres |
| Beam: | 7.2 metres |
| Draught: | 2 metres |
| Propulsion: | 2x Paxman 16YJCM diesel engines driving through ZF marine gearboxes |
| Speed: | 21 kn (39 km/h) max. 16 kn (30 km/h) continuous 25 kn (46 km/h) reported on trials |
| Range: | 2,000 nmi (3,700 km) |
| Complement: | 4 officers, 19 ratings |
| Armament: | 1x 40mm Bofor gun (mounted aft) 2x GPMGs |
| Armour: | Welded steel hull with aluminium superstructure |
| Notes: | Also fitted with 2x Gemini boats |
The Bird class patrol vessel was a class of large patrol boat built for the Royal Navy. There were five in total: Kingfisher, Cygnet, Peterel, Sandpiper and Redpole.
The class was designed for patrol and fishery protection tasks in coastal and inshore territorial waters.[1] The first of the class were delivered some 18 months late, and the rest approximately two years late.[2]
The first four vessels of the class were ordered in late 1972 and commissioned between 1975 and 1977, with the final ship being commissioned in 1983 after a conversion by Fairmile Marine. They were built by Richard Dunston for £1.1m each, and were designed for service in the Inshore Division of the Fishery Protection Squadron. The class was closely related to the Royal Air Force Seal class long-range recovery boats.[3] When, in 1985, the fifth vessel – Redpole – was commissioned, it was as a result of the winding up of the RAF Marine Branch. RAFV Sea Otter (5002) was transferred to the Royal Navy on 30 October 1984, and at Brooke Marine, Lowestoft she was refitted - given armaments, a light grey livery, enclosed wheelhouse and extended bridge wings, and modified several times over the years to help her in her role patrolling Northern Ireland. As part of the cuts in the defence budget Redpole was replaced in 1994 by a River class minesweeper, and was subsequently earmarked for disposal.[4]
The vessels had poor seakeeping qualities and the design was therefore considered unsuccessful.[3][5] As a result, Peterel and Sandpiper were employed as training tenders for the Royal Naval Reserve and never undertook an operational patrol. After a decision was made on their future, they were fitted with an enclosed bridge and assigned to Britannia Royal Naval College for training duties. Kingfisher, Redpole and Cygnet were assigned to Northern Ireland Squadron to replace the older Ton class minesweepers.[6][3]
The vessels are now privately owned, Cygnet in the UK, Redpole in the USA and Sandpiper in the Netherlands.[3]
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