HMS Archer (P264)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Archer.

Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Archer
Operator:	Royal Navy
Builder:	Watercraft Marine
Launched:	25 June 1985
Homeport:	Aberdeen
Identification:	Pennant number: P264
Status:	in active service, as of 2012
General characteristics
Class and type:	Archer class patrol vessel
Displacement:	54 tons
Length:	20.8 m (68 ft 3 in)
Beam:	5.8 m (19 ft)
Draught:	1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:	2 shafts, Rolls Royce/Perkins CV12 diesels, 1,590 bhp
Speed:	15 knots
Range:	550 nmi (1,020 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement:	5 (RN), 1 training officer (RNR), 12 students (URNU)
Sensors and processing systems:	Decca 1216 navigation radar
Armament:	None (mounting for 20 mm cannon on fo'c'sle)

HMS Archer is the lead ship of the Archer-class. As the lead ship she was one of the few of her class to be completed (in 1985) by Watercraft Marine, the original shipbuilders - most of the remaining vessels were completed or built by Vosper Thornycroft.

She is attached to Aberdeen Universities' Royal Naval Unit (URNU) and based in Aberdeen Harbour. As such, Archer is the most northerly homeported Royal Navy ship.

Early service

The Archer class were built as RNR training vessels, but after finding little use, were transferred to URNU service.

URNU service

Archer at Crinan

Archer became the training ship of Aberdeen URNU in 1991, succeeding Chaser. The role of a training ship within each URNU is to provide opportunities for students to receive practical training and gain experience afloat. Archer's programme can be divided into two durations of training - a weekend or the longer deployments that take place during the university Easter and summer holidays.

Weekend training usually take place in the vicinity of Aberdeen, sometimes with visits to nearby ports such as Buckie, Peterhead or Montrose. Activities onboard include navigation and seamanship training, breakdown or man overboard exercises and visits from local dignitaries or senior RN officers.

Archer with Example and Explorer

Deployments in the Easter and summer holidays venture further afield, Archer has visited ports from the Western Isles and east coast of Britain to the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the Baltic. These longer deployments are often undertaken in company with other P2000s such as Example and Explorer.

Crew composition

Archer is permanently crewed by five Royal Navy personnel, captained by a lieutenant. Chief petty officers fill the roles of executive officer and marine engineering officer, and the yeoman and weapons engineering officer are junior rates of the appropriate service branches.

With students embarked (up to a maximum of 12), a training officer is usually present who is typically an Royal Naval Reserve lieutenant or sub-lieutenant.

Affiliates

• HMS Vanguard
• Stonehaven SCC TS CARRON

External links

• Aberdeen Universities Royal Naval Unit
• BBC Scotland News Report of HMS Archer facing navy review (15 April 2010)