River-class patrol vessel
 HMS Severn, HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne in February 2012. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | River class |
| Builders: | Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) |
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy Royal Thai Navy |
| Preceded by: | Castle class |
| Subclasses: | HMS Clyde, HTMS Krabi |
| In commission: | June 2003 |
| Completed: | 5 |
| Active: | 5 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Patrol vessel |
| Displacement: | 1,677 tonnes |
| Length: | 79.5 metres |
| Beam: | 13.6 metres |
| Draught: | 3.8 metres |
| Installed power: | 4,125 kW (5,532 hp) at 1,000 rpm |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Ruston 12RK 270 diesel engines |
| Speed: | 20 kn (37 km/h) |
| Range: | 7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 2 × rigid inflatable boats |
| Complement: | 30, accommodation for 20 more |
| Armament: |
|
The River class is a British class of five offshore patrol vessels. Three were built for the Royal Navy, replacing the seven ships of the Island class, along with a fourth, a modified vessel based on the River class which replaced the Castle class, for duties in the Falklands. They are primarily used in the fisheries protection role. A fifth was built for the Royal Thai Navy.
Ships in class
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Launched | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | ||||
| Tyne | P281 | Vosper Thornycroft | 27 April 2002 | 4 July 2003 |
| Severn | P282 | Vosper Thornycroft | 4 December 2002 | 31 July 2003 |
| Mersey | P283 | Vosper Thornycroft | 25 June 2003 | 28 November 2003 |
| Royal Navy modified River class | ||||
| Clyde | P257 | Vosper Thornycroft | 14 June 2006 | 30 January 2007 |
| Thai Navy | ||||
| Krabi | 551 | Bangkok Dock & BAE Systems Surface Ships | 3 December 2011 | 2013 |
Design
The ships are significantly larger than the Island-class vessels and have a large open deck aft allowing them to be fitted with equipment for a specific role, which can include fire-fighting, disaster relief and anti-pollution work. For this purpose, a 25 tonne capacity crane is fitted. In addition, the deck is strong enough for the transport of various tracked and wheeled light vehicles, or an LCVP.
Ownership
Initially the three ships were not owned by the Royal Navy. They were constructed under an arrangement with the shipbuilder, Vosper Thornycroft (VT), under which the Royal Navy leased the vessels from the shipbuilder for a period of ten years. VT were responsible for all maintenance and support for the ships during the charter period. At the end of this, the Navy could then either return the ships, renew the lease or purchase them outright.
In September 2012, it was announced by the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond that the Ministry of Defence had purchased the vessels for £39 million.[1]
Running costs
| Date | Running cost | What is included | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | £5 million | "The average running cost per class of River Class is £20 million... These figures, based on the expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence in 2009-10, include maintenance, safety certification, military upgrades, manpower, inventory, satellite communication, fuel costs and depreciation." | [2] |
Modified River class
HMS Clyde: A modified fourth vessel, HMS Clyde, constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard, replaced the two vessels of the Castle-class for duties in the Falkland Islands. This ship displaces 1,850 tonnes and has a 30mm gun, as well as a deck strengthened for aircraft operations.
HTMS Krabi: Another vessel was built for the Royal Thai Navy called HTMS Krabi. This ship was built in Thailand but designed by BAE Systems. On this ship the main gun was changed to a 76mm gun.
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy's Amazonas-class corvettes, built by BAE in the United Kingdom, are based on the River-class design.
2013 Royal Navy order
On 6 November 2013 it was announced that the Royal Navy has ordered three further modified River-class vessels, to replace HM Ships Tyne, Severn and Mersey. The new batch is to be built at BAE's Clyde shipyards and will feature helicopter landing facilities. The first of the new ships is expected to enter service in 2017.[3]
References
- ↑ "MoD buys £39m patrol ships from BAE". Press Association. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ↑ Hansard 24 November 2010 Written Answers.
- ↑ "MOD plans to commission 3 new ocean-going offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy.". MOD. 06 November 2013. Retrieved 06 November 2013.
External links
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