HMS Express (P163)

Last updated

HMS Express-2.jpg
HMS Express berthed at Penarth Marina, February 2020
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameHMS Express
Operator Royal Navy
Builder Vosper Thornycroft
Commissioned1988
Identification
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and type Archer-class patrol vessel
Displacement54 tonnes
Length20.8 m (68 ft 3 in)
Beam5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Draught1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Propulsion2 shafts, Rolls-Royce M800T diesels, 1,590 bhp (1,190 kW)
Speed
  • 21  kn (39 km/h)
  • 45  kn (83 km/h) (Hull design, but limited due to engine fitted)
Range550 nmi (1,020 km)
Complement
  • 16 (training) [N 1]
  • 12 (operational)
Sensors and
processing systems
Decca 1216 navigation radar
Armament

HMS Express is an Archer-class P2000-type patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy. [1] [2]

Contents

Initially assigned to the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, her hull was black rather than the grey colour normally used for Royal Navy warships. On transfer to the Royal Navy she retained the black colour until 2005. She is assigned to the Wales University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) from Cardiff, Swansea and South Wales Universities. The students are given the rank of officer cadet in the Royal Navy Reserve.

Up to 10 students from Wales URNU can be accommodated on board, as well as 5 permanent ships company drawn from the Royal Navy.

Notes

  1. 5 ship's company, 1 training officer, 10 URNU students.
  2. When operational and not in URNU role.

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Smiter</i> (P272) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Smiter is an Archer-class patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Royal Naval Unit</span> Military unit

The University Royal Naval Units (URNU) are Royal Navy training establishments who recruit Officer Cadets from a university or a number of universities, usually concentrated in one geographical area. There are 17 URNUs in the UK, with each URNU having land-based facilities near the universities they recruit from, with the exception of URNU Virtual, whose drill nights are conducted virtually.

HMS <i>Tracker</i> (P274) 1998 Archer-class patrol and training vessel

HMS Tracker is an Archer-class (P2000) patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. Along with the batch 2 Archer class, HMS Raider, Tracker is part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron based at HMNB Clyde.

HMS <i>Archer</i> (P264) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Archer is the lead ship of the Archer class. As the lead ship she was one of several of her class to be completed in 1985 by Watercraft Marine, the original shipbuilders — most of the remaining vessels were completed or built by Vosper Thornycroft. In 2015, she was one of the first of her class to receive an upgrade.

HMS <i>Ranger</i> (P293) Archer-class patrol and training vessel

HMS Ranger is an Archer-class patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy, based in HMNB Portsmouth. She is affiliated to Sussex and Brighton Universities' University Royal Naval Unit, which has its offices at the University of Sussex, Brighton. Her badge is a ship's wheel superimposed on seven blue roundels, representing the seven seas.

HMS <i>Pursuer</i> (P273) 1988 Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Pursuer is an Archer-class P2000 patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Raider</i> (P275) Archer-class patrol and training vessel

HMS Raider is an Archer-class patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. Along with HMS Tracker, Raider is part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron based at HMNB Clyde.

HMS <i>Example</i> (P165) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Example is an Archer-class patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy, based at HMS Calliope in Gateshead, England. Example was originally built for the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, and was transferred to the Royal Navy when the RNXS disbanded in 1994. On transfer, she retained her name, and became the first ship in the Royal Navy to bear that name.

HMS Exploit is an Archer-class patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy, built in Woolston by Vosper Thornycroft and commissioned in 1988. She is assigned to the Royal Navy Coastal Forces Squadron, carrying out a range of activities both in the U.K. and overseas.

<i>Archer</i>-class patrol vessel Class of patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy

The Archer class is a class of patrol and training vessel in service with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, commonly referred to as a "fast training boat". Most are assigned to Coastal Forces Squadron. HMS Tracker and HMS Raider are armed and provide maritime force protection to high value shipping in the Firth of Clyde and are most commonly employed as escorts for submarines transiting to Faslane. Pursuer and Dasher were also armed during their deployment on maritime force protection duties with the Gibraltar Squadron from 2020-2022.

HMS <i>Dasher</i> (P280) 1988 Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Dasher is an Archer-class P2000 patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. Dasher was built at Vosper Thorneycroft and commissioned in 1988.

HMS <i>Explorer</i> (P164) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Explorer is an Archer-class P2000-type patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. The ship is primarily assigned to the Yorkshire Universities Royal Naval Unit (URNU), serving the universities of Hull, Sheffield and Leeds. The ship is based in Kingston-Upon-Hull and mainly operates on the East coast of the UK, particularly in and around the Humber estuary.

HMS <i>Trumpeter</i> (P294) 1988 Archer-class patrol and training vessel

HMS Trumpeter is an Archer-class patrol vessel P2000-type patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. Trumpeter is assigned to Cambridge University Royal Naval Unit, having previously been the training ship of the Bristol University Royal Naval Unit.

HMS <i>Charger</i> (P292) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Charger is an Archer-class patrol vessel built by Watercraft Limited, Shoreham-by-Sea and fitted out at Vosper Thornycroft. She is just over 20 metres long and 5.8 metres wide and powered by two Rolls-Royce turbo engines. The ship is based at HMS Eaglet, the Royal Naval Headquarters in Liverpool and was commissioned in 1988. She has five full-time RN crew, and sails with an RNR training officer and a maximum complement of 12 students. She is attached to the Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit.

HMS <i>Puncher</i> (P291) 1988 Archer-class patrol and training vessel

HMS Puncher is an Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy. She is permanently based at HMNB Portsmouth and forms part of the First Patrol Boat Squadron (1PBS). Puncher is primarily tasked with training the officer cadets and midshipmen of the University of London's University Royal Naval Unit. She also provides a training platform for young officers undertaking training during the Royal Navy's initial warfare officers' course, and has also been used in the coastal protection role, most notably during Operation Olympic, the security operation surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games.

HMS <i>Blazer</i> (P279) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Blazer is an Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vosper Thornycroft. She is 20.8 metres long and 5.8 metres wide and powered by two Rolls-Royce diesel engines. The ship is based at HMS Nelson, the shore base in Portsmouth and was commissioned in 1988.

HMS <i>Biter</i> (P270) Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

HMS Biter is an Archer-class P2000-type patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. She is assigned to Manchester & Salford Universities Royal Naval Unit, a Royal Naval Reserve unit based in Manchester. The ship is based at HMS Eaglet, the Royal Naval Headquarters in Liverpool. As part of her sea training programme, she often makes visits to local ports for ceremonial visits or occasions.

HMS <i>Calliope</i> (shore establishment)

HMS Calliope is a training centre and 'stone frigate' of the Royal Naval Reserve, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

The Royal Navy Cyprus Squadron (RNCS) was a Royal Naval Squadron based on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus from February 2003 until April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Royal Naval Unit East Scotland</span> Royal Navy training establishment in Edinburgh

The University Royal Naval Unit East Scotland is one of 17 University Royal Naval Units and a Royal Navy training establishment based in Scotland, accepting roughly 65 Officer Cadets from universities in Edinburgh, Fife and the Tayside region. It is one of the University Service Units and is under the command of Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. The unit's affiliated P2000 ship is HMS Archer, which is predominantly used for training Officer Cadets.

References

  1. "Patrol Boats – Archer class". Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. "Archer Class P2000 (URNU)". Armed Forces.net. Retrieved 9 March 2019.