River class patrol vessel
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 HMS Severn (P282) and HMS Mersey (P283) on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany. |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | River class |
| Builders: | Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) |
| Operators: |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Castle Class |
| Subclasses: | HMS Clyde, HTMS Krabi |
| In commission: | June 2003 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Active: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | River |
| Type: | Patrol vessel |
| Displacement: | 1,677 tonnes |
| Length: | 79.5 metres |
| Beam: | 13.6 metres |
| Draught: | 3.8 metres |
| Propulsion: | 2 diesels, 1 shaft, 20 knots maximum |
| Boats and landing craft carried: |
2 x Rigid Inflatable Boats |
| Complement: | 30, accommodation for 20 more |
| Armament: | 1 x 20 mm Gun, 2 x General Purpose Machine Gun |
The River class is a class of three offshore patrol vessels in the Royal Navy, replacing the seven ships of the Island class. A fourth, modified vessel based on the River class has also been built for the Royal Navy, replacing the Castle class, for duties in the Falklands. They are primarily used in the fisheries protection role.
Contents |
[edit] Ships in Class
HMS Severn (P282) (Commissioned June 2003)
HMS Tyne (P281) (Commissioned July 2003)
HMS Mersey (P283) (Commissioned December 2003)
[edit] Design
The three ships are significantly larger than the Island-class vessels, and in addition to all of their other features, have a large open deck aft, which allows the ships to be fitted with specific 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.
[edit] Ownership
The three ships are not owned directly by the Royal Navy. Instead they were constructed under an arrangement with the shipbuilder, Vosper Thornycroft, under which the Royal Navy charter the vessels from the shipbuilder which is responsible for all maintenance and support for the ships during the charter period. At the end of this, the Navy can either return the ships, renew the lease or purchase them outright.
[edit] 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." | [1] |
[edit] Modified River class
A modified fourth Batch II 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 30 mm gun. Another vessel was built for the Royal Thai Navy called the HTMS Krabi. This ship was built in Thailand but designed by BAE.On this ship the main gun was changed to a 75mm gun.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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