HMS Severn (P282)

The ninth and latest HMS Severn is a River-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy. Named after the River Severn, the ship was the first to bear the name in 56 years.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Severn.

HMS Severn, 2012
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Severn
Ordered: April 2001
Builder: Vosper Thornycroft
Launched: 4 December 2002
Commissioned: 31 July 2003
Decommissioned: 27 October 2017
Recommissioned: 30 June 2020
Homeport: Portsmouth
Identification:
Motto: Fides invicta triumphat (Latin: Faith unconquered triumphs)
Nickname(s): "Lucky Severn", "Magnificent Severn"
Honours and
awards:		 Algiers 1816, Belgian Coast 1914, Konigsberg action 1915, Norway 1940, Atlantic 1940-41, Sicily 1943, Aegean 1943
Status: In active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: River-class patrol vessel
Displacement: 1,700 tonnes[1]
Length: 79.5 m (260 ft 10 in)
Beam: 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Draught: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power: 4,125 kW (5,532 hp) at 1,000 rpm
Propulsion: Two Ruston 12RK 270 diesel engines
Speed: 20 kn (37 km/h)
Range: 5,500 nmi (10,200 km)
Endurance: 21 days
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 Two rigid inflatable boats
Troops: 20
Complement: 30
Armament:

She was built by Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton to serve as fishery protection units within the United Kingdom's waters along with her two sister ships Mersey and Tyne. All three were commissioned into service in 2003 to replace the five older Island-class patrol vessels.

Service history

Severn was affiliated with the city of Newport in September 2003 and awarded the freedom of the city in June 2006.[2]

HMS Severn in Bordeaux, France

In October 2014 it was announced that Severn would be the first River-class vessel to deploy overseas to take up the Atlantic Patrol Tasking North, a task traditionally assigned to a frigate or destroyer.[3] The ship returned to Portsmouth on 16 July 2015, having visited all of the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean - Turks and Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Anguilla and Grand Cayman.[4]

In December 2015, acting on intelligence from the National Crime Agency and DNRED, the ship intercepted the MV Carib Palm off the south coast of the United Kingdom, and escorted the ship to Boulogne-sur-Mer, where it was searched by French customs, and 2.4 tonnes of cocaine were seized with a street value in excess of £350m.[5]

In April 2017, Severn was detached from Fishery Protection duties to escort the Russian landing ship Korolev through the English Channel.[6]

Decommissioning

On 24 April 2017, in a written answer to a question raised by Sir Nicholas Soames, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence Harriet Baldwin stated Severn would be decommissioned in 2017.[7]

Severn made what was thought to be at the time a final visit to her affiliated town of Newport in October 2017.[8]

Severn's decommissioning ceremony took place alongside South Railway Jetty, Portsmouth on 27 October 2017.[9]

In March 2018, Baldwin's successor as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence, Guto Bebb revealed that £12.7 million had been allocated from the EU Exit Preparedness Fund to preserve three Batch 1 ships, should they be needed to control and enforce UK waters and fisheries following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.[10]

Reactivation

On 22 November 2018, the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced that Severn would be reactivated, all three Batch 1 River-class ships would be retained in service and that they would be 'forward operated' from their affiliated ports.[11] In May 2019, Severn was refitted prior to her planned recommissioning.[12] As of March 2020, she is employed as a navigation training ship.[13] HMS Severn recommissioned on June 30, 2020. [14]

References
  1. BAE Systems Offshore Patrol Vessels, baesystems.com, Retrieved 8 June 2014
  2. "Freedom of the City for HMS Severn" (PDF) (Press release). Newport City Council. 19 June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. "Severn readies for new mission by training with her sister Tyne". Navy News. Royal Navy. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  4. Anderson, Stuart (16 July 2015). "HMS Severn set to return home to Portsmouth". The News (Portsmouth). Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. "Severn helps seize 2.4 tonnes of cocaine". navynews.co.uk. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  6. "HMS Severn escorts Russian landing ship through English Channel". Royalnavy.mod.uk. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  7. "Warships and Submarines: Decommissioning:Written question – 71203". Hansard. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  8. "Royal Navy HMS Severn which is twinned with Newport will visit city for last time - and her crew will march through our streets". South Wales Argus. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  9. "HMS Severn decommissions after 14 years of service". Royal Navy website. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  10. "Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure:Written question - 132371". Hansard. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  11. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/national/17241886.mod-lifts-axe-on-three-royal-navy-patrol-ships-to-boost-uk-fishery-protection/
  12. "A&P group defence - A&P Falmouth" (PDF). A&P group defence - A&P Falmouth. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  13. Brief News Ships Monthly March 2020 page 15
  14. "HMS Severn Re-Commissioned Into Royal Navy After Nearly Three Years". Forces news. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.

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