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Patrol Craft

Asked by James MacClearyLiberal DemocratMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 21 July 2026UIN 18895

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, following the retirement of the batch 1 River Class vessels, how does his department intend to conduct at sea training.

Answered by Luke Pollard

The Royal Navy constantly reviews out-of-service dates to achieve maximum availability of its platforms for operational tasking. For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out-of-service dates of individual platforms. The Class out-of-service date for OPV Batch 1 is 2028.

Following the Defence Investment Plan, which allocates £200 million to Offshore Patrol Vessels, future OPV deployment plans will be reviewed to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities.

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