Royal Navy’s first OPV named

The Royal Navy has formally named its new Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) HMS Forth, in honour of the famous Scottish river, in a ceremony at the BAE Systems Scotstoun shipyard.

The 90-metre warship, which will be tasked with vital counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling and maritime defence duties will soon depart on sea trials before entering service with the Royal Navy in 2018.

The ship is the first of a fleet of five new Batch 2 River-class OPVs being built on the Clyde which are all expected to be in service by 2021.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the work to build HMS Forth and her sister ships is sustaining around 800 Scottish jobs, as well as the critical skills required to build the Type 26 Global Combat Ships, construction of which will begin at the Govan shipyard in the summer, subject to final contract negotiations.

HMS Forth was named by the Lady Sponsor Rachel Johnstone-Burt who, in tribute to Scottish shipbuilding and in keeping with Naval tradition, broke a bottle of whisky on the bow.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said: “As part of a sustained programme delivering world-class ships and submarines, HMS Forth’s naming is a vitally important part of the Government’s ten-year £178 billion plan to provide our Armed Forces with the equipment they need.

“From counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, to securing the UK’s borders on patrols closer to home, the Royal Navy’s new Offshore Patrol Vessels will help protect our interests around the world.”