HMS Mersey (P283)

HMS Mersey, 2009
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Mersey
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	April 2001
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	14 June 2003
Sponsored by	Mrs Jennie Reeve
Commissioned	28 November 2003
Homeport	HMNB Portsmouth
Identification	IMO number: 9261346 MMSI number: 234637000 Callsign: GBSY Pennant number: P283
Status	In active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	River-class patrol vessel
Displacement	1,700 tonnes (1,700 long tons)[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	2 × Ruston 12RK 270 diesel engines
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Endurance	21 days
Boats & landing craft carried	Two rigid inflatable boats
Troops	20
Complement	30
Armament	1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 2 × General purpose machine guns
Notes	Fitted with 25-tonne crane[2]

HMS Mersey is a River-class offshore patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy. Named after the River Mersey, she is the fifth RN vessel to carry the name and the first to be named Mersey in 84 years. Various tenders were renamed Mersey^[3] during their service with Mersey Division Royal Naval Reserve (HMS Eaglet) between the early 1950s and late 1970s.

HMS Mersey was built by Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton, England to serve as a fishery protection vessel within the United Kingdom's waters along with her two sister ships Tyne and Severn. All three were commissioned into service in 2003 to replace the five older Island-class patrol vessels. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 28 November 2003. At that time, Mersey was not expected to commence duties until February 2004.

Mersey was the last Royal Navy ship to be launched from Vosper Thornycroft at its Woolston shipyard; Jennie Reeve, wife of Rear-Admiral Jonathon Reeve, Chief of Fleet Support, was the ship's sponsor.^[4]