Island-class patrol vessel

BNS Sangu operating in the Bay of Bengal in 2011
Class overview
Builders: Hall, Russell & Company
Operators:
Succeeded by: Castle class
In commission: 1976–2004
Completed: 7
General characteristics
Type: Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement:
  • 1,000 tons (standard)
  • 1,280 tons (full load)
Length: 195 ft (59 m) (overall)
Beam: 36 ft (11 m)
Draft: 14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion: 1 shaft, 2 Ruston-Paxman diesel, 4,380 hp (3,270 kW) variable-pitch propeller
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h)
Range: 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement: 35
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Type 1006 radar
  • Simrad RU sidescan sonar
Armament: 1 × Bofors 40 mm gun Mark III, replaced by 1 × 30mm gun in some ships

The Island-class patrol vessel was first designed and built for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. As a result of the Royal Navy's experiences in the Cod Wars with Iceland, and the success of FPV Jura (loaned to the Navy as HMS Jura) in fishery protection patrols, the Navy built a further seven. These ships were designed and built by Hall Russell of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Fishery protection cruisers

FPV Jura and FPV Westra were built by Hall, Russell & Company of Aberdeen in 1973 and 1975 respectively. Jura was loaned to the Royal Navy between 1975 and 1977 for evaluation.[1]

Royal Navy offshore fishery protection ships

The success of Jura encouraged the Royal Navy to build a further seven ships to the same design; these ships formed the bulk of the Fishery Protection Squadron, whose mission was to patrol the Atlantic fishing grounds, and ensure the security of the British oil and gas fields in the North Sea. However, since the mid-1990s, the class has been gradually decommissioned; Jersey was sold to the Bangladesh Navy in 1994, to be followed by Shetland, Alderney, Anglesey, Guernsey and Lindisfarne, with Orkney going to Trinidad and Tobago. The Island class was replaced in the Fishery Protection Squadron by the three ships of the River class.

Ships in class

Name Pennant number Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
FPV Jura P296 (HMS Jura) Hall, Russell & Company 1973 Sold to Marr Vessel Management Ltd, and renamed N'Madi[2]
FPV Westra Hall, Russell & Company 1974 1975 Sold to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and renamed MY Steve Irwin
HMS Anglesey P277 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy
HMS Alderney P278 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy
HMS Jersey P295 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy
HMS Guernsey P297 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy
HMS Shetland P298 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy
HMS Orkney P299 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard
HMS Lindisfarne P300 Hall, Russell & Company Sold to the Bangladesh Navy

Disposal

Presently, five Island-class patrol vessels are in active service with the Bangladesh Navy.[3] They are Karatoa (ex-Alderney), Kapatakhaya (ex-Shetland), Turag (ex-Lindisfarne), Gomati (ex-Anglesey) and Sangu (ex-Guernsey). Another ex-Royal Navy Island-class vessel, Jersey, is used as the training ship, Ruhul Amin. The final ship of the class, ex-Royal Navy vessel Orkney is in service with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and named TTS Nelson.

The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency Westra was sold to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 2006 and is currently named MY Steve Irwin. Jura was sold in 1988 and renamed Criscilla, and then N'Madi. She was broken up in Portugal in November 2001.[4]

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Scottish Fishery Protection Cruisers". Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  2. ↑ Aberdeen City Council. "Aberdeen Ships". www.aberdeenships.com. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  3. ↑ http://www.bdmilitary.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=236&Itemid=118%5Bdead+link%5D
  4. ↑ "7314840". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 21 June 2009.

Notations

  • Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995

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