Róisín-class patrol vessel

The Róisín-class large patrol vessel is a class of offshore patrol vessels (OPV) ^[2] ordered by the Irish Naval Service from December 1997. The first vessel is named Róisín,^[3] which is also the name given to the class. Construction on this first vessel commenced in December 1997, and it was commissioned in December 1999. The second vessel was named Niamh and delivered in 2001.^[4]

LÉ Róisín on patrol
Class overview
Name	Róisín class
Builders	Appledore Shipbuilders, North Devon
Operators	Irish Naval Service
Preceded by	Peacock class
Succeeded by	Samuel Beckett class
In commission	1999–present
Planned	2
Completed	2
Active	0
Laid up	2 (as of February 2023[update])[1]
General characteristics
Type	Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	1,500 t (1,500 long tons)
Length	78.84 m (258 ft 8 in)
Beam	14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power	2 × 5,000 kW (6,700 hp)
Propulsion	2 × Wärtsilä medium speed diesels
Speed	23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (maximum)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × Delta 6.5 m (21 ft) RHIB 1 × Avon 5.4 m (18 ft) RHIB
Complement	44 (6 officers and 38 ratings)
Sensors and processing systems	Kelvin Hughes radar
Armament	1 × 76 mm OTO Melara gun 2 × 20 mm Rheinmetall cannon 2 × 12.7 mm HMG 4 × 7.62 mm GPMG

The class's primary mission is fisheries protection, search and rescue, and maritime protection operations, including vessel boardings.

Design

The class was designed by Vard Marine (formerly STX Canada Marine) and has an all-steel hull based on the Mauritian patrol vessel Vigilant launched in 1995, but without the helicopter deck and hangar facilities. The level of automation incorporated into the ships' systems allows the ships in the class to be operated with just 44 crew including 6 officers. The class is designed for winter North Atlantic operations.

Names

Name	Pennant number	Builder	Laid down	Commissioned	Status
Róisín	P51	Appledore Shipbuilders, North Devon	December 1997	15 December 1999	"Operational reserve" (as of January 2023)[5]
Niamh	P52		April 2000	18 September 2001

References

1. "Irish Naval Service opts to mothball Roisin-class OPVs due to manning issues". janes.com. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
2. "Róisín class". naval-technology.com.
3. "L.É. Róisín P51". military.ie.
4. "L.É. Niamh P52". military.ie.
5. O'Connor, Niall (25 January 2023). "Two naval ships to be tied up as staffing crisis deepens in Irish Navy". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. Retrieved 29 January 2023.