HMS Mersey (P283)

The British Royal Navy River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Mersey (P283) is seen here docked at the mole in Key West Harbor.  After 13 years spent conducting fisheries protection patrols in UK waters, HMS Mersey was in Key West in January 2016 preparing to depart on counter-narcotics operations in Caribbean and Central American waters as part of the U.S. Coast Guard-led multinational Joint Inter Agency Task Force (South), headquartered in Key West.  

Subsequent to its Caribbean deployment, HMS Mersey was deployed to the Aegean and English Channel in 2016-2019 to patrol for illegal migrant crossings.  Although the UK government had originally planned to decommission HMS Mersey in 2019, it was announced in March 2018 that £12.7 million had been allocated from the government's EU Exit Preparedness Fund to maintain Mersey and her two Batch 1 River-class sister ships should they be needed for fisheries protection and migrant patrols in UK waters following the UK's departure from the European Union.  The decision to retain the ships in active service was confirmed by UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in November 2018. 

The 1,700 tonne Mersey was built by Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton, UK and commissioned on 28 November 2003.  The ship carries a crew of 30, and is armed with one 20mm Oerlikon cannon and two general purpose machine guns. The ship's home port is Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, UK.

Photo taken 27 January 2016

HMS Mersey - Specifications:
Displacement: 1,700 tonnes
Length: 79.5 metres (260 feet 10 inches)
Beam: 13.5 metres (44 feet 3 inches)
Draught: 3.8 metres (12 feet 6 inches)
Propulsion: 2 x Ruston 12RK  270 diesel engines
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Range: 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km)
Weapons: 1 x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon; 2 x general purpose machine guns
Complement: 30 + accommodation for 20 troops