HMS Spey (P234)
HMS Spey in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 2021
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Spey |
Operator | Royal Navy |
Ordered | 8 December 2016 |
Builder | BAE Systems Naval Ships |
Laid down | 21 April 2017 (1st steel cut) |
Launched | 19 June 2019 |
Sponsored by | Lady Alison Johnstone |
Christened | 3 October 2019 |
Commissioned | 18 June 2021 |
Homeport | HMNB Portsmouth[1] (forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region with primary logistics hub at the British Defence Singapore Support Unit in Singapore)[2] |
Identification | Pennant number: P234 |
Status | In active service |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Batch 2 patrol vessel |
Displacement | 2,000 tonnes |
Length | 90.5 m (296 ft 11 in)[3] |
Beam | 13 m (42 ft 8 in) |
Draught | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) |
Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
Range | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) |
Endurance | 35 days |
Boats & landing craft carried | Two rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) |
Troops | up to 50 |
Crew | 34-45[4][5][6] |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament |
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Aircraft carried | Merlin capable flight deck |
Notes | Fit with 16-tonne crane |
HMS Spey is a Batch 2
Construction
On 6 November 2013 it was announced that the Royal Navy had signed an Agreement in Principle to build three new offshore patrol vessels, based on the River-class design, at a fixed price of £348 million including spares and support. In August 2014,
Batch 2 ships such as Spey include some 29 modifications and enhancements over the
Spey was formally named on 3 October 2019.[17] She began contractor sea trials in September 2020,[18] and after they were completed, left the Clyde on 28 October for the delivery voyage to Portsmouth.[19]
Operational history
On 7 January 2021, HMS Spey was handed over to the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. In late spring 2021, Spey received "dazzle" camouflage in Falmouth in preparation for deploying to the Indo-Pacific region with sister ship Tamar.[20] Spey was commissioned into the Royal Navy at her affiliated town, Invergordon on 18 June 2021.[21] On 7 September, Spey and sister Tamar departed Portsmouth to be forward deployed to the Indo-Pacific region for a minimum of five years.[22]
On 21 January 2022, Spey was deployed to
In 2023, Spey was deployed to Australia.[25]
In 2024 HMS Spey made her inaugural visit to India following in the footsteps of sister vessel HMS Tamar and anchored in Port Blair, a strategic port in the Andaman and Nicobar Island groups following exercises conducted with Indian Navy Patrol boats.[26]
References
- ^ "River Class". Royal Navy. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ Graham, Euan (19 October 2021). "Reflections on the Royal Navy's Indo-Pacific engagement". International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Work begins on third Royal Navy Patrol Vessel" (Press release). GOV.UK. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ "River Class | Royal Navy".
- ^ "River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, UK".
- ^ "Introducing the Royal Navy's new Offshore Patrol Vessels".
- ^ "Britain orders Kelvin Hughes radar system". United Press International. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "Terma's SCANTER 4100 radar system has been selected and ordered by BAE Systems for integration on board Royal Navy's OPVs" (Press release). Terma A/S. 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "Combat Management Systems". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "River-Class Batch 2 OPV 'HMS Trent' Commissioned With Royal Navy". Naval News. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ @NavyLookout (20 November 2022). "HMS Spey" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 November 2022 – via Twitter.
See video
- ^ "In focus: the 50 cal heavy machine gun in Royal Navy service". Navy Lookout. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ de Larrinaga, Nicholas (9 December 2016). "UK orders two more River-class OPVs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Patrol Craft:Written question - 210211 - UK Parliament". United Kingdom Parliament. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ^ "British Navy HMS Spey River-class offshore patrol vessel debuts at sea". www.navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- ^ "British Navy HMS Spey Offshore Patrol Vessel joins Portsmouth Naval Base". Navy Recognition. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ "White Ensign Raised as HMS Spey joins the Royal Navy". Royal Navy. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Archus, Dorian. "The Royal Navy commissions 5th and final Batch II River Class OPV HMS Spey - Naval Post". Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Patrol ships bid farewell to Portsmouth as they begin Indo-Pacific deployment". Royal Navy.
- ^ "Global aid effort underway for Tonga's recovery". RNZ. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ Knapton, Sarah (11 March 2022). "Henderson Island has been in the wrong place for 85 years, Royal Navy discovers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "G'day! HMS Spey becomes first Royal Navy ship to dock in Brisbane since 1995". Forces.Net. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Royal Navy Warship HMS Spey makes inaugural visit to India". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 January 2024.