HMS Blazer (P279)

HMS Blazer tests the skills of students from Southampton, Portsmouth and Solent Universities; she’s a sea training vessel for Southampton University Royal Naval Unit.

Role

Blazer plays a unique and valued role engaging the public, inspiring the next generation and getting involved in other operations when she’s called on.

Weekly drill evenings are held every Thursday of term time. Tuition falls into three areas: basic navigation and seamanship, leadership and team building skills, and strategic studies and current affairs.

During the ten-week university term, six or seven weekends will be spent at sea. Then, in the summer and over Easter, HMS Blazer and her students make five two-week deployments. In the past, these have included port visits to the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Capability

HMS Blazer trains tomorrow’s talent by running weekly drill evenings in term-time, before heading off for adventurous deployments during holidays.

Young Officers gain their navigation stripes using Blazer, and it’s usually their first time at the helm.
Blazer is able to represent the Navy in smaller ports that the larger ships in the fleet are unable to get into.
She has an impressive an endurance of 550nm at 22kts.
Though one of our smaller craft at 21 metres long with a 54 tonne displacement, she has deployed as far as the Baltic.

Archer Class

Crew

Led by Lieutenant F Howes, HMS Blazer is an Archer Class P2000 Fast Patrol Boat, built by Watercraft Marine in 1985 – one of five based in HMNB Portsmouth.

The ship’s motto is ‘Premier in the First’, and she has hosted royalty onboard, including Prince Michael of Kent.

HMS Blazer has a compliment (minimum) crew of five: one Lt, two CPOs, one LH and one AB. However, she can carry a maximum of 20 personnel on board and deploys twice a year, usually at around Easter and again in the summer.

Unit history

1797

The First Blazer

The first, a wooden gunboat, was named by the 2nd Earl Spencer, George John, First Lord of the Admiralty. He named it after a dog in his foxhound pack!

1800

The other Blazers

In the 1800s a further five ships, both wooden and steam-powered gunboats, carried the name, winning battle honours in 1814 and 1855.

1919

The Sixth Blazer

The last Blazer, a gunboat, was sold in 1919.

1985

The Seventh HMS Blazer

The current HMS Blazer was built in 1985.

Follow HMS Blazer on X

@hms_blazer

Join the Surface Fleet

Ready to go places? A career in the Surface Fleet could take you all over the world - on missions as varied as the oceans we defend.