HMS Mersey (P283)

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

HMS Mersey (P283)
Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Mersey (P283)
Operator:	Royal Navy
Ordered:	April 2001
Builder:	Vosper Thornycroft
Commissioned:	28 November 2003
Homeport:	HMNB Portsmouth
Status:	in active service, as of 2012
Notes:	Pennant = P283
General characteristics
Class and type:	River class patrol vessel
Displacement:	1,677 tonnes
Length:	79.9 m
Beam:	13.6 m
Draught:	3.8 m
Propulsion:	2 × Ruston 12RK 270 Main engines developing 4,125 kW @ 1,000 rpm
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h)
Range:	7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats and landing craft carried:	2 × Halmatic Jet Pacific 22 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB)
Complement:	30 (+ Royal Marine boarding party)
Armament:	1 × 20 mm British Manufacturing and Research Company (BMARC) KAA 2 ×General purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried:	Capable of supporting one small/medium helicopter (Sea King or Merlin)

The fifth and current HMS Mersey is a River class offshore patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy. Named after the River Mersey, the ship is the first to bear the name in 84 years.

She was built by Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton to serve as fishery protection units within the United Kingdom's waters along with her two sister ships Tyne and Severn. All three were commissioned into service in 2003 to replace the five older Island class patrol vessels. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 28 November 2003. At that time, Mersey was not expected to commence duties until February 2004.

HMS Mersey was the final Royal Navy ship to be launched from Vosper Thornycroft at its Woolston shipyard. The first was the Tribal Class destroyer HMS Tartar on 25 June 1907.

Affiliations

• HMS Eaglet
• TS Ardent
• Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Liverpool.

External links

• Royal Navy site

References

HMS Mersey departing from Portsmouth Naval Base 12th November 2008