HMS Medway (P223)

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Medway
Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: August 2014
Builder: BAE Systems Naval Ships
Laid down: 8 June 2015 (Steel cut)[1]
Launched: 23 August 2017
Sponsored by: Lady Fallon
Christened: 20 October 2017
Homeport: HMNB Portsmouth
Identification:
Status: Fitting out
General characteristics
Class and type: Batch 2 River-class patrol vessel
Displacement: 2,000 tonnes
Length: 90.5 m (296 ft 11 in)[2]
Beam: 13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Draught: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Speed: 24 kn (44 km/h)
Range: 5,500 nmi (10,200 km)
Endurance: 35 days
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 Two rigid inflatable boats
Capacity: 70
Complement: 34
Armament:
Aircraft carried: Merlin capable flight deck

HMS Medway is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel currently under construction for the British Royal Navy. Named after the River Medway in Kent, she will be the second Batch 2 River-class vessel to commission.

Construction

On 6 November 2013 it was announced that the Royal Navy had signed an Agreement in Principle to build three new offshore patrol vessels, based on the River-class design, at a fixed price of £348 million including spares and support. In August 2014, BAE Systems signed the contract to build the ships on the Clyde in Scotland. The Ministry of Defence stated that the Batch 2 ships are capable of being used for constabulary duties such as "counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations". According to BAE Systems, the vessels are designed to deploy globally, conducting anti-piracy, counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling tasks currently conducted by frigates and destroyers.

Medway includes some 29 modifications and enhancements over the Amazonas-class corvette built by BAE Systems for the Brazilian Navy.[3]

Steel was cut, marking the start of construction of Medway on 8 June 2015 at BAE Systems Govan shipyard in Glasgow. Rather than being launched in the traditional manner, Medway was rolled onto a semi-submersible barge and lowered into the water on 23 August 2017, and was officially named a few weeks later on 20 October 2017[4].

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "Second Scottish built Royal Navy warship moves closer to service". GOV.UK. 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Patrol Craft:Written question - 210211 - UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  4. ↑ https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2017/october/20/171020-medway-named

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