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HMS SMITER is one of the 14 Archer-class patrol vessels that form the Coastal Forces Squadron. Versatile and able to operate in confined waters she conducts many roles including Maritime Security, Support to NATO Operations and assisting in the training of future Warfare Officers of the Royal Navy.
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HMS SMITER can accommodate up to ten additional personnel in addition to her five Ship’s Company already embarked. Her activities and responsibilities include:
• Maritime Security • Force Protection • Supporting NATO Operations and Exercises including JOINT WARRIOR and TYPHOON WARRIOR • Navigation and Seamanship Training • Regional Engagement
United Kingdom
British ships and units, which include the Royal Marines, are committed to operations around the world.
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HMS Smiter’s primary role is to provide naval experience and training to Officer Cadets from the universities of Oxford, Oxford Brookes and Reading.
The ship’s company support Young Officers and students to develop their navigation and seamanship skills in preparation for a career in the Royal Navy.
Thanks to her diminutive size, HMS Smiter can navigate into smaller ports around the UK which the Royal Navy cannot normally access. She also supports Royal Navy and NATO exercises at home and abroad.
The first HMS Smiter was an 11,420-ton escort carrier launched at Seattle on 27 September 1943 and built under the Lend-Lease programme. The ship returned to the States in April 1946.
The LST 3514, a tank landing ship launched in October 1944, was renamed HMS Smiter in 1947. She received a Battle Honour for the Battle of the Atlantic.
The second Smiter was sold in March 1949, only to sink a month later while under tow to Portugal.
The third Smiter was launched in October 1990, serving with the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Reserve.
HMS Smiter was transferred to the University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) of Glasgow.
Smiter replaced HMS Tracker as the training vessel of the Oxford URNU.
Along with HMS Archer, HMS Ranger and HMS Exploit, HMS Smiter is deployed to the Baltic in order to take part in NATO’s Exercise BALTOPS.
From divers to chefs, musicians to engineers, there’s a whole world of career options with the Royal Navy. Join us to be part of something special, protecting our nation’s interests, all over the world.
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Mine hunter ships, frigates, destroyers and assault ships, among others, form the backbone of our naval prowess.
The UK has a responsibility to its citizens and its allies to endeavour to safeguard the high seas. This is why the Royal Navy protects home and international waters.
The UK has to be ready to protect its interests and its allies. This is where the Royal Navy comes in: we train to go where we’re needed, by sea, land or air.
