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Current Location
Atlantic, Caribbean & USA
15:30 GMT - 22 May 2013
Atlantic, Caribbean & USA
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HMS Mersey
HMS Mersey is the youngest of the original batch of River- class patrol vessels built for the Fishery Protection Squadron – the oldest unit in the Royal Navy. She patrols the waters of the UK and up to 200 miles in the Atlantic ensuring that fishing boats and trawlers stick to internationally-agreed quotas.
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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Fishery Protection Squadron
Mersey was the last ship to be built at Vosper Thornycroft yard in Woolston, Southampton.
Mersey like her sister ships is not owned by the RN, she is in fact leased by BAE who retain the responsibility for any major maintenance and upkeep.
The ship is a regular visitor to UK ports and often hosts organised groups to show what the Royal Navy is about. She operates a crew rotation system which means that a member of the ship’s company would normally spend four weeks onboard and two weeks ashore catching up on leave or on courses, allowing the ship herself to be on almost constant patrol.
COMMANDING OFFICER
Sarah Oakley
- RANK:
- Lieutenant Commander
- JOINED:
- 1995
- SPECIALISATION:
- Warfare
- PREVIOUS UNITS:
- HMS Kent, Chatham,
Military experience
Lieutenant Commander Sarah Oakley joined the Royal Navy in 1995 after reading a degree in Modern History at Trinity College, Oxford. On completion of her initial training at Britannia Royal Naval College she continued her training at sea in HMS Beaver, Sheffield and Orwell.
For her first complement appointment, Sarah joined HMS Alderney as the Gunnery Officer and British Seas Fisheries Officer. Further appointments followed as Officer of the Watch 1 and Signal Communications Officer in HMS Kent, bringing the ‘Millennium Frigate’ from build through a successful trials programme and Operational Sea Training ready for her first deployment to the Gulf.
Then as Navigating Officer in HMS Norfolk, she deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the Standing Naval Force Atlantic, conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations under Op Active Endeavour.
In 2003 she returned to Britannia Royal Naval College as Head of Navigation for two years, responsible for the delivery of basic navigation training to all New Entry officers.
Qualifying as a Principal Warfare Officer in 2006, she returned to sea as the Above Water Warfare specialist and later as the Operations Officer in HMS Chatham including a six month Op Telic deployment, with Combined Task Force 158 staff embarked. This was a challenging deployment, with the ship operating in the confined waters of the Northern Gulf, working closely with the US, Australian and Iraqi Navies.
In 2009 an appointment as the PWO in the Maritime Commissioning, Trials and Assessment organisation (MCTA) in Portsmouth allowed Sarah to use her knowledge of operations in the Middle East to ensure ships deploying East of Suez were operating materially at their maximum operational capability, putting the ships through a variety of trials on the NATO Foracs Range at Crete.
She returned to the Gulf in 2010 as the Operations Officer for the Combined Task Group Iraqi Maritime, living on an Iraqi Oil Platform for 7 and a half months.
She was awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Queen’s Operational Honours List for her contribution to the mission to transfer responsibility for the security of the Oil Platforms from Coalition to Iraqi control.
Joining the Maritime Battle Staff in 2011 it wasn’t long before she found herself heading out to the Gulf again, this time based in Bahrain and serving on the staff of the Combined Task Force 150, responsible for Counter Terrorism.
She assumed Command of HMS Mersey at the end of May 2012.
OPERATIONS
Operation Fishery Protection
CURRENT STATUS: active
River-class ships inspect fishing vessels operating up to 200 miles off the UK’s coastline. Their task is to enforce UK and EU regulations designed to preserve fish stocks for future generations. The Royal Navy operates on behalf of the Marine Management Organisation.
ABOUT THE UNIT
KEY STATISTICS
- Pennant
P283
- Displacement
1,700tonnes
- Complement
30personnel
- Length
79.8Metres
- Beam
13.6metres
- Draught
3.8metres
- Top Speed
20knots
- Range (nautical)
7,800miles
- Launch Date
2003
- Commissioned date
28/11/03
TAKE A LOOK
Image Gallery
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HMS Mersey hosts HMS Biter University
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HMS Mersey hosts HMS Biter University
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HMS Mersey hosts HMS Biter University
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HMS Mersey hosts HMS Biter University
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Royal Navy and Royal Marines demonstrate skills at Jersey boat show
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Royal Navy fishery protection vessel HMS Mersey took centre stage at the Jersey Boat Show over the bank holiday weekend, helping to attract hundreds of visitors to the annual event.
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Royal Navy and Royal Marines demonstrate skills at Jersey boat show
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Royal Navy fishery protection vessel HMS Mersey took centre stage at the Jersey Boat Show over the bank holiday weekend, helping to attract hundreds of visitors to the annual event.
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HMS Mersey and 814 Merlin Helicopter
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HMS Mersey conducting flying operations with a merlin from 814 Squadron
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HMS Mersey and 814 Merlin Helicopter
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HMS Mersey conducting flying operations with a merlin from 814 Squadron
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HMS Mersey and 814 Merlin Helicopter
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HMS Mersey conducting flying operations with a merlin from 814 Squadron
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HMS Mersey and 814 Merlin Helicopter
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HMS Mersey conducting flying operations with a merlin from 814 Squadron
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HMS Mersey and 814 Merlin Helicopter
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HMS Mersey conducting flying operations with a merlin from 814 Squadron
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Fishery Protection ships demonstrate High speed Skills
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HMS Mersey in company with HMS Severn conducted exercises in the Solent with the 2nd Sea Lord embarked first on HMS Severn then transferring to HMS Mersey by boat transfer.
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Fishery Protection ships demonstrate High speed Skills
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HMS Mersey in company with HMS Severn conducted exercises in the Solent with the 2nd Sea Lord embarked first on HMS Severn then transferring to HMS Mersey by boat transfer.
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Fishery Protection ships demonstrate High speed Skills
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HMS Mersey in company with HMS Severn conducted exercises in the Solent with the 2nd Sea Lord embarked first on HMS Severn then transferring to HMS Mersey by boat transfer.
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Fishery Protection ships demonstrate High speed Skills
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HMS Mersey in company with HMS Severn conducted exercises in the Solent with the 2nd Sea Lord embarked first on HMS Severn then transferring to HMS Mersey by boat transfer.
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HMS Mersey and HMS Enterprise in Falmouth
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ROYAL NAVY TOASTS JERSEY BOAT SHOW WITH DOUBLE WHAMMY
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ROYAL NAVY TOASTS JERSEY BOAT SHOW WITH DOUBLE WHAMMY
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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Fishery Protection Squadron
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The Three River-class patrol vessels of the Fishery Protection Squadron, HMS MERSEY, HMS SEVERN and HMS TYNE on Exercise off the South West Coast. The Fishery Protection Squadron (FPS) enforces UK and EU fisheries legislation in order to ensure the long term sustainability of the UK fishing grounds. In addition, the three UK based Ships are the only warships on permanent patrol around the UK, contributing to the policing of UK waters and delivering an intrinsic element of the UKâs Maritime Security. Credit must read: LA(Phot) AJ MacLeod
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Fishery Protection Squadron
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Fishery Protection Squadron
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Fishery Protection Squadron
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Fishery Protection Squadron
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HMS Mersey
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PHOTEX of Tyne Class Fishery Protection vessels. HMS Severn (P282) and Mersey (P283) sailing through the Solent, 05 Oct 2004. Please credit LA(PHOT) Emma Somerfield
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HMS Mersey sea boat recovering the casualty to the ship
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MV Highland Champion attempting to douse the flames of the burning yacht
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Members of the Ship’s Company collecting in Canary Wharf
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Std Zoe Braithwaite at the official launch with London Mayor Boris Johnson
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Two members of the Ship’s Company collecting at Billingsgate Fish Market
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Patrol ships and Minehunters
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HMS Mersey
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PHOTEX of Tyne Class Fishery Protection vessels. HMS Severn (P282) and Mersey (P283) sailing through the Solent, 05 Oct 2004.Please credit LA(PHOT) Emma Somerfield
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Drake 24 AUG 2006Images on board HMS MERSEY as the COMMS team receive THALES COMMS TROPHY left to right LRO NOBBY HALL
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Drake 24 AUG 2006Images on board HMS MERSEY as the COMMS team receive THALES COMMS TROPHY left to right LRO NOBBY HALL
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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HMS Mersey
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Mersey Beat Banner
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Lt Cdr Sarah Oakley
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UNITS IN TIME
HMS Mersey HISTORY
TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED HMS Mersey
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Fish ships Severn and Mersey demonstrate high speed skills
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