OPV utility will have future relevance
Offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) will be able to play a number of roles in future operations by services like the UK Royal Navy and, together with corvette-sized vessels, offer a faster way to regenerate capability for shrinking fleets.
At present a Royal Navy Batch 1 River-class OPV, HMS Mersey, is deployed to the North Atlantic on counter drug smuggling and defence engagement duties. The vessel recently assisted the Royal Canadian Navy and US Coast Guard in seizing a large shipment of narcotics near Nicaragua.
Meanwhile HMS Clyde, a modified Batch 1 River-class, is forward deployed to the Falkland
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