How the RN does summer cruises
HMS Explorer (P164), HMS Pursuer (P273), HMS Biter (P270) on summer deployment to the baltics. MOD photo. Click to bigup
The Royal Navy has 16 Archer-class (or P2000) patrol boats. These 68-footers are simple, diesel-powered craft originally built in the 1980s as training tenders for the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), University Royal Naval Units (URNU) and the now-defunct Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS). Today they make up 1st Patrol Boat Squadron based at HMNB Portsmouth.
While they have served on Cyprus patrol (2003-2010) and two units escort HM’s submarines in and out of port as part of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron, they are generally unarmed though they can mount a 30mm main gun forward and as many as four smaller mounts if needed.
Four of the craft have been deployed to the Baltic for the past few weeks, making port calls with NATO and EU allies and training some 40~ naval cadets embarked.
All in all, you have to admit the boats are rather handsome, especially for some 30 years service.