According to a Tweet released on June 4, 2020, the HMS Tamar River-class offshore patrol vessel of the British Navy was officially commissioned today June 4, 2020, on river Tamar in southwest England.
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The British Navy HMS Tamar was officially commissioned today June 4, 2020, on river Tamar in southwest England.(Picture source Twitter account NavyLookout)
The River class is an offshore patrol vessel built primarily for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. A total of nine were built for the Royal Navy (RN); four Batch 1 and five of the significantly different Batch 2. One modified Batch 1 (HMS Clyde) has been decommissioned leaving eight vessels planned for RN service from 2021.
HMS Tamar is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel of the British Navy. Named after the River Tamar, she is the fourth Batch 2 River-class vessel to be built and was formally commissioned on 4 June 2020
The River Class patrol ships can be used for anything from fire-fighting to disaster relief operations. There are 4 in all; HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn and HMS Clyde. HMS Clyde operates around the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Tyne, Mersey and Severn have a crew of about 45 sailors, working at least 275 days a year at sea enforcing British and European fisheries law.
The Batch 2 River-class ships are fundamentally different in appearance and capabilities from the preceding Batch 1. Notable differences include the 90.5 metres (296 ft 11 in) long hull, a top speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph), Merlin-capable flight deck, a displacement of around 2,000 tonnes and greatly expanded capacity for accommodating troops.
The Batch 2 River-class ships also have a different (full width) superstructure, and a fundamentally different above-water hullform shape. The class is also fitted with the Kelvin Hughes SharpEye integrated radar system for navigation, the Terma Scanter 4100 2D radar for air and surface surveillance, and a BAE CMS-1 Combat Management System.
The Batch 2 River-class is powered by 2 × MAN 16V28/33D diesel engines developing 14,700kW/19,700HP. It is armed with one Bushmaster 30 mm cannon, two Miniguns and two General purpose machine guns.
