Scimitar-class patrol vessel

The Scimitar class is a class of fast patrol boat in service with the British Royal Navy.

HMS Sabre, 2011
Class overview
Builders: Halmatic
Operators:  Royal Navy
Preceded by: Archer class
In commission: 2003
General characteristics
Type: Patrol boat
Displacement: 24 tonnes (24 long tons)
Length: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Beam: 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Draught: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Propulsion: 2 × MAN 2480LXE diesels, 2 shafts
Speed: 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h)
Range: 260 nmi (480 km) at 19 kn (35 km/h)
Complement: 5 (1 officer, 4 ratings)
Sensors and
processing systems:
Racal-Decca Bridgemaster 360, I band navigation radar
Armament: 2 × General purpose machine guns (stern-mounted)

The two vessels of this class are of a commercial design known as the Lifespan Patrol Vessel built by Halmatic (now BAE Systems Surface Ships), and formerly served in an inshore waterways anti-terrorist role in Northern Ireland. They were acquired for the Royal Navy in 2003 for service with the Gibraltar Squadron, releasing two Archer-class boats that had filled this role for service with the Cyprus Squadron.[1]

With the decommissioning of the survey launch HMS Gleaner in February 2018, the two Scimitar-class boats became the smallest commissioned vessels in the Royal Navy.[2] The two vessels were returned to the U.K. from Gibraltar in 2020, having been replaced there by two Archer-class boats, but were reported as still operational in Portsmouth at the end of 2020.

Vessels in the class

Name Pennant number Builder Commissioned Status
Scimitar
(ex-MV Grey Fox)
P284 Halmatic Ltd, Portsmouth 2003 Active in service
Sabre
(ex-MV Grey Wolf)
P285 Halmatic Ltd, Southampton Active in service

References

  1. "Patrol Boats - Scimitar class". Royal Navy. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  2. "Royal Navy decommissions inshore survey vessel HMS Gleaner". Naval Today. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
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