HMS Spey: Navy's Newest Offshore Patrol Vessel Named

The five Batch 2 OPVs were built as part of a £635 million contract (Picture: MOD).

The fifth of the Royal Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) has been formally named HMS Spey.

The Batch 2 River-class ship, which has a 30mm cannon and is able to accommodate a Merlin helicopter, is the last of the OPVs to be named.

Spey will be used on counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling operations.

Defence minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the naming was "an exciting milestone".

"Our Offshore Patrol Vessels play a pivotal role in patrolling our coastline, protecting our domestic waters and supporting maritime interests from anti-smuggling to fisheries protection," she said.

The ship was officially named HMS Spey, with a bottle of whisky being smashed against her hull, in line with tradition.

The other OPVs have previously been named HMS Forth, HMS Medway, HMS Trent and HMS Tamar.

The first of the Batch 2 vessels was HMS Forth, which Forces News gained exclusive access to last year.