HMS Tamar, the fourth of overall five Batch II River-class offshore patrol vessels BAE Systems is building for the Royal Navy, has arrived at her new homeport of Portsmouth for the first time.
HMS Tamar will now spend time on tests and trials allowing her crew to become acquainted with her before they begin operational sea training together.
According to the Royal Navy, the ship is the first of her class to have a urea filter installed which will reduce damaging diesel exhaust emissions by about 90 percent.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a formal commissioning ceremony is expected to take place at an appropriate point later in the year.
Tamar and her sister ships carry a 30mm main cannon, can conduct helicopter operations and can embark up to 50 personnel, in addition to about 40 crew.
Five refined River-class OPVs were ordered in 2014 to supplement the Batch I vessels. The final vessel, HMS Spey, is in fitting-out on the Clyde and will also be based in Portsmouth.
“It’s a great achievement for both the ship’s company and our partners in BAE Naval Ships who built Tamar to arrive at Portsmouth Naval Base and begin her generation to a multi-role patrol vessel,” Lieutenant Commander Mike Hutchinson, commanding officer of HMS Tamar, commented.
