Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

  • News
  • Event News
    • IMDEX Asia 2023
    • Sea Air Space 2023
    • DSEI Japan 2023
    • NAVDEX 2023
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»DSEI 2021: Royal Navy OPVs sail to re-establish permanent Indo-Pacific presence
PATRIA
HMS SPEY
HMS Tamar and HMS_Spey - complete with dazzle camouflage - will deploy across a vast area, from the eastern shores of Africa to the west coast of the USA. Royal Navy picture.

DSEI 2021: Royal Navy OPVs sail to re-establish permanent Indo-Pacific presence

The long-term deployment of two of the Royal Navy’s Batch 2 River Class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) to the Indo-Pacific region has put the global role of the class in the spotlight.

Richard Scott 14 Sep 2021

Departing from Portsmouth Naval Base on 7 September, HMS Spey and HMS Tamar are, following a short stopover in Falmouth, sailing west to the Pacific Ocean via the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.  The two ships – both adorned in an eye-catching Dazzle camouflage scheme – are expected to remain in the region for at least five years as part of the UK government’s post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ strategy.

Originally built to bridge gaps in industrial loading at BAE Systems’ shipbuilding operation on the Clyde, the five B2RC offshore patrol vessels – HM Ships Forth, Medway, Trent, Tamar and Spey – now find themselves in the vanguard of the Royal Navy’s efforts to re-establish a forward presence in the world’s most important maritime regions. Forward presence requires that vessels are stationed in or adjacent to the theatre of operations for an extended period – rather than returning home to the UK after each deployment – with crews being rotated from the UK.

Adapted from a 90 metre OPV export design originally developed by what was VT, the B2RC vessels are intended to contribute to constabulary tasks worldwide, such as counter-narcotics, counter-piracy, fishery protection and humanitarian operations. The intention is that these vessels will offer a platform for persistent engagement and protection of UK interests, and at the same time free up frigates and destroyers from less-demanding tasks.

Forth, the first of the five B2RC vessels, has been deployed to the South Atlantic since January 2020 and serves as the permanent Falkland Islands guard ship. Trent is based in Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea, while Medway is supporting the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) in the Caribbean.

Prior to sailing, BAE Systems delivered mission-critical equipment and capability enhancements to Spey and Tamar, including upgrading the ships’ generator cooling systems for warm weather conditions. Under a contracting for availability arrangement, BAE Systems will manage whole ship support for both ships while deployed.

No permanent base port has been assigned to the two ships, whose patrol area embraces both the Indian and Pacific oceans, extending as far north as the Bering Sea and south to the foot of Tasmania and New Zealand. Instead, Spey and Tamar will make use of bases and ports in the Pacific region which best meets their needs and mission. Three Amazonas-class OPVs – built by BAE Systems to a largely similar design – are in service with the Brazilian Navy. Two more ships, HTMS Krabi and HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan, have been built for the Royal Thai Navy by Bangkok Dock under a transfer of technology agreement with BAE Systems.

DSEI 2021 Indo-Pacific OPV Royal Navy 2021-09-14
Tags DSEI 2021 Indo-Pacific OPV Royal Navy
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Authors

Posted by : Richard Scott
Euronaval guest commentator Richard Scott is a well-known UK-based writer on the Royal Navy and other naval forces worldwide.

Related Articles

UK Royal Navy’s future MCM Mothership “Stirling Castle” begins sea trials

UK Royal Navy’s future MCM Mothership “Stirling Castle” begins sea trials

Naval News Staff 24 May 2023
Making her way down the Hamoaze for the first time under the fouled Blue Ensign, the standard of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is Stirling Castle, the newest addition to the RFA flotilla – and the future of minehunting.
UK Aircraft Carrier to Return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025

UK Aircraft Carrier to Return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025

Xavier Vavasseur 23 May 2023
The United Kingdom will deploy, again, a carrier strike group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
US, UK and French Commanders Transit Strait of Hormuz

US, UK and French Commanders Transit Strait of Hormuz

Naval News Staff 20 May 2023
The U.S. 5th Fleet commander transited the Strait of Hormuz aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) with naval counterparts from France and the United Kingdom, May 19.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok