HMS_Pursuer_(P273)

HMS <i>Pursuer</i> (P273)

HMS Pursuer (P273)

1988 Archer-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Pursuer.

HMS Pursuer is an Archer-class P2000 patrol and training vessel of the Royal Navy.[2][3]

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History

Pursuer was built at Vosper Thorneycroft and commissioned in 1988. The famous greyhound Ballyregan Bob was guest of honour at her launch, a unique recognition of the greyhound on her badge. Prior to 2003 Pursuer was the training vessel of Sussex University Royal Naval Unit (SUSURNU).

Pursuer and HMS Dasher were sent to Cyprus ahead of Operation Telic, the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, transported on board the CEC Mayflower. The Royal Navy Cyprus Squadron was created in February 2003 to protect ships around the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, a vital staging post in the British logistic chain to Iraq. Both were fitted with Kevlar armour and three FN MAG general purpose machine guns, with an extra crew member (compared to the P2000s assigned to URNU duties) employed as a Gunners Yeoman.[1] In 2007 she helped rescue the fishing vessel Seafighter3 which had run aground on Cape Zevgari.[4]

The Cyprus Squadron was disbanded in 2010 and Pursuer was assigned to the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron, protecting the ballistic missile submarines at HMNB Clyde. In September 2012 her force protection duties were taken over by the more modern HMS Tracker and she was reassigned to Glasgow URNU.

From 2020 to 2022 she was posted to Gibraltar Squadron.[5][6] In July 2020, Pursuer escorted the Spanish patrol boat Serviola out of Gibraltar's territorial waters. The Spanish vessel had remained in British waters for roughly 45 minutes, and the intrusion drew criticism from British maritime officials following the incident.[7]

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    5 ship's company, 1 training officer, 12 URNU students.
  2. [N 2]
    When operational and not in URNU role.

References

  1. [1]
    "HMS Pursuer". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008.
  2. [2]
    "Patrol Boats – Archer class". Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  3. [3]
    "Archer Class P2000 (URNU)". Armed Forces.net. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. [4]
    "Flare from Pursuer". Navy News. October 2007. p. 4.
  5. [5]
    "HMS Pursuer and Dasher prepare for Rock mission".
  6. [6]
    "Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron bid farewell to HMS Dasher & HMS Pursuer". GBC.gi. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  7. [7]
    Sheridan, Danielle (31 July 2020). "Spanish warship triggers alert off Gibraltar". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
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