The United Kingdom Royal Navy unveiled it's River class offshore patrol boat. This new boat will make a difference in border security. The River class is a class of offshore patrol vessels built primarily for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. A total of eight are planned: four for the Royal Navy replaced the seven ships of the Island class and the two Castle class patrol vessels. HTMS Krabi was a variation on the River design built in Thailand for the Royal Thai Navy. Three more were ordered for the Royal Navy in 2013, stretched to include a Merlin-capable flightdeck. In the Royal Navy, the River class are primarily used with the Fishery Protection Squadron and EEZ patrol. The fourth Royal Navy vessel (HMS Clyde (P257)) features several modifications allowing her to undertake duties in the South Atlantic and the Falkland Islands. Class overview Name: River class Builders: Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) Operators: Royal Navy Royal Thai Navy Preceded by: Castle class Subclasses: HTMS Krabi Amazonas-class corvette Built: 2001-2018 In commission: June 2003-current Building: 1 Planned: 8 Completed: 5 Active: 5 General characteristics Type: Offshore Patrol Vessel Displacement: 1,700 tonnes[1] 1,847 to 2,000 tonnes (Clyde)[2][3][4] ~2,000 tonnes (Forth subgroup)[5] Length: 79.5 metres 81.5 metres (Clyde)[6] 90.5 metres (Forth subgroup)[7] Beam: 13.6 metres[6] Draught: 3.8 metres[6] Installed power: 4,125 kW (5,532 hp) at 1,000 rpm[6] Propulsion: 2 × Ruston 12RK 270 diesel engines, 280kW bow thruster, 185kW stern thruster[6] Speed: 20 kn (37 km/h) 21 kn (39 km/h) (Clyde)[6] 24 kn (44 km/h) (Forth subgroup)[7] Range: 7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)[citation needed] 5,500 nmi (Clyde,[6] Forth subgroup[7]) Endurance: 21 days (Clyde)[6] 35 days (Forth subgroup)[7] Boats & landing craft carried: 2 × rigid inflatable boats Troops: Accommodation for 20 extra personnel Complement: 30, 36 (Clyde)[6] Sensors and processing systems: Air/surface surveillance radar[6] Armament: 1 × 30mm DS30B gun (Clyde,[6] Forth subgroup[7]) 1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 2 × Miniguns (Clyde)[3] 2-5 × General purpose machine guns Aviation facilities: Merlin-capable flight deck (Clyde,[6] Forth sub-group[7]) Royal Navy[edit] Batch 1[edit] Tyne, Severn and Mersey[edit] 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. 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.[8] Clyde[edit] A modified fourth vessel for the Royal Navy, HMS Clyde, was constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard and replaced the two vessels of the Castle-class patrol vessel 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. Batch 2[edit] Forth, Medway and Trent[edit] On 6 November 2013 it was announced that the Royal Navy had signed an Agreement in Principle to build three new OPVs -based on the River class design- at a fixed price of £348m including spares and support.[9] In August 2014, BAE Systems won the £348 million contract to build the three new OPVs on the Clyde in Scotland. The new vessels will be used for constabulary duties such as "counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations".[10] According to BAE Systems, the vessels are designed to deploy globally, conducting anti-piracy, counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling tasks currently conducted by frigates and destroyers.[11] Steel was cut on 10 October 2014[7] and they are expected to enter service starting 2017, with the last being delivered by the end of 2018.[9] Similar in design to the Amazonas-class corvette (the Brazilian variant of the BAE Offshore Patrol Vessel),[12] the new ships will incorporate a Merlin-capable flight deck,[7] a top speed of 24 knots,[7] be 90.5 metres[7] in length and displace around 2,000 tonnes.[5] Initial press reports suggested they would have a range of 6,300 nmi (11,700 km)[11] but more recent MoD publications put them at 5,500nmi like Clyde.[7]

• published: 05 Apr 2015
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