Royal Navy accepts OPV
The Royal Navy has accepted the delivery of its newest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), HMS Forth, from BAE Systems at the company’s Scotstoun shipyard.
Forth completed maiden sea trials in December and will now sail to Portsmouth where the vessel will be commissioned into Royal Navy service.
The new OPV fleet will carry out a range of roles for the navy, including counter-terrorism, anti-piracy and anti-smuggling. The rest of the fleet, HMS Medway, HMS Trent, HMS Tamar and HMS Spey, are all expected to enter service by 2020.
The 90m vessels will be equipped with a 30mm cannon and a flight deck capable of receiving a Merlin helicopter. Displacing around 2,000 tonnes, they will have a maximum speed of 24 knots and will be able to sail 5,500 nautical miles before having to resupply.
Defence Minister Guto Bebb said: ‘Thanks to the hard work of the Clyde shipyards, HMS Forth is now ready to join the Royal Navy surface fleet and begin the vital task of defending the UK and her interests around the world.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
![BAE Systems to collaborate with Umoe Mandal on Type 26 frigate and Littoral Strike Craft]()
BAE Systems to collaborate with Umoe Mandal on Type 26 frigate and Littoral Strike Craft
The agreement is intended to boost opportunities for both UK and Norwegian naval shipbuilding.
-
![How the Force Design 2028 will impact US Coast Guard acquisitions]()
How the Force Design 2028 will impact US Coast Guard acquisitions
The FD 2028 strategy intends to reduce the bureaucracy in procurement processes while speeding up the field of assets.
-
![Thin-line towed arrays on uncrewed vessels deliver more cost-effective sonar, says SEA]()
Thin-line towed arrays on uncrewed vessels deliver more cost-effective sonar, says SEA
Miniaturisation of technology opens up radical sensing technologies to smaller navies under submarine threat, according to SEA sonar expert.
-
![£30 million UK-New Zealand deal sends new uncrewed vehicles to Ukraine]()
£30 million UK-New Zealand deal sends new uncrewed vehicles to Ukraine
Sam Vye, the CEO of SYOS Aerospace, which supplied the vehicles, explained the rapid development and deployment of assets in the uncrewed world.
-
![HII delivers first two Lionfish SUUVs to US Navy]()
HII delivers first two Lionfish SUUVs to US Navy
The SUUVs could be part of a programme that scales to 200 vehicles.
-
![HALO programme decommissioned by US Navy in favour of LRASM upgrades]()
HALO programme decommissioned by US Navy in favour of LRASM upgrades
The programme was due to be at full operational capability in the US Navy by 2031, but has been pulled over cost and timeline concerns.
