Pacific 24

The Pacific 24 is a rigid inflatable boat made by BAE Systems in the UK, one of a range of small boats made by the company.[1] As of 2020 it was the latest Pacific craft within the BAE Halmatic range, and has been proven in service with the UK MOD, UK police and overseas military and paramilitary organisations. It was designed to replace the Pacific 22.[2] An uncrewed version of the boat, controlled from a parent Navy ship, has been developed, entering tests in 2020; a few boats may ultimately be deployed for special missions, or a whole fleet ordered.[3]

Pacific 24 Mark 4s from HMS Sutherland in March 2018
Class overview
Builders: BAE Systems
Operators: UK Government
Building: 60
General characteristics
Type: RIB
Length: 7.8 metres
Beam: 2.6 metres
Propulsion: Options include outboard petrol and inboard diesel with stern drive and water jet
Speed: 38 knots
Range: Typical range at 30 knots: 150 Nm
Complement: Crew: 2, Passengers: Up to 6
Having completed a successful ship boarding exercise, Royal Marines from Type 23 frigate HMS Cornwall leave the scene aboard the ship's Pacific 24 seaboats.

Usage

The boats are mostly used for fast rescue, anti-piracy and counter-narcotics missions, and are the standard boats used by Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships.

They have a "dry running" capability, allowing their engines to be started out of the water, while still attached to a ship's davits.[4]

UK Ministry of Defence

In December 2015 the MoD placed an order for 60 Pacific 24 boats as part of a £13.5m contract for use with vessels such as the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and the new River class offshore patrol vessels.[5] These new boats will include high-performance shock-absorbing seats that minimise crew fatigue, allowing them to travel up to six times the distance.

Building was to start in early 2016, and was expected to take four years to complete.

Operators

References
  1. "Boats". BAE Systems. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  2. "Naval Warfare: HMS Mersey gets Pacific 24 RIBs". Shephard Media. 18 May 2017.
  3. "Royal Navy's first crewless boat ready for testing". BBC News. 24 June 2020.
  4. "Pacific 24". BAE Systems. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  5. "Next generation of RIBS for Royal Navy". Royal Navy. 15 December 2015.
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