According to information published by the UK MoD on December 23, 2022, the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Tamar has completed her first ‘proper’ visit to Brunei as she heads west towards the Indian Ocean.
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River class Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Tamar. (Picture source: UK MoD)
Before entering Muara Naval Base (Pangkalan Tentera Laut Muara) Tamar was greeted off Brunei by the fast patrol boat KDP Syafaat for some joint exercises and maneuvers.
There’s a battalion of Gurkhas, small garrison troop and an Army Air Corps helicopter flight stationed in the country, whose jungle terrain is ideal for training soldiers and Royal Marines in one of the harshest fighting environments.
After a year focused around the Pacific Rim, HMS Tamar is re-focusing efforts on the Indo ‘element’ of her mission to re-forge military, seafaring and economic ties with allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific region.
About the HMS Tamar
HMS Tamar is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy. She is the fourth Batch 2 River-class vessel to be built and is forward deployed long-term to the Indo-Pacific region with her sister ship HMS Spey.
The Batch 2 ships have a length of 90.5 m (296 ft 11 in), a beam of 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in) and a displacement of 2,000 t (2,000 long tons). They can reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph).
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".
