View source for River-class minesweeper

{{Short description|Class of British minesweepers}}
{{For|other naval ship classes of the same name|River class (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{no footnotes|date=February 2013}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= M2007 HMS Humber.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Humber'' at South Shields in 1993
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=River class 
|Builders=Richards Dry Dock and Engineering Limited
|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
*{{navy|Brazil}}
*{{navy|Bangladesh}}
*[[File:Flag of Guyana.svg|23px]] [[Guyana Defence Force#Coast Guard|Guyana Coast Guard]]
|Class before={{sclass2|Ton|minesweeper|4}}
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=£4.6 million each
|Built range= 
|In service range=
|In commission range=1984&ndash;2001
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=12
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Minesweeper]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|850|LT|t|0|lk=in}} standard
*{{convert|890|LT|t|0}} full
|Ship length= {{convert|47|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|10.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height= 
|Ship draught= {{convert|3.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship propulsion=2 shafts, [[Ruston (engine builder)|Ruston]] 6RKC [[diesel engine|diesels]], {{convert|3040|bhp|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed= {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=  
|Ship complement=*5 officers and 23 ratings
*(accommodation for 36: 7 officers and 29 ratings)
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40 mm gun]] Mark 3
*2 × [[FN MAG|7.62&nbsp;mm L7 GPMGs]]
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''River class''' was a [[ship class|class]] of [[minesweeper]] built for the British [[Royal Navy]] in the 1980s, designated Fleet Minesweepers (MSF<ref>Neubert, 1989</ref>). Operated mainly by the Royal Naval Reserve they were taken out of service in 1990s and sold to foreign navies.

==Design==
The Rivers were built with a traditional steel hull to a design based on a commercial [[offshore support vessel]]. The class was designed to be operated as deep sea team sweepers, to combat the threat posed to [[submarine]]s by Soviet deep-water buoyant moored [[naval mine|mines]] codenamed "Cluster Bay".

The River-class MSF was equipped with the Wire Sweep Mark 9 (WS 9) which was capable of performing Extra Deep Armed Team Sweeping (EDATS). Operating in pairs (or a number of pairs in formation), they towed a sweep between the two ships that followed the profile of the bottom and cut the mooring wires of the mines; these released mines would then be destroyed on the surface with gunfire. The WS 9 was able to be used for "mechanical" sweeping in this manner or "influence" sweeping whereby a transducer was towed through the water generating noise, both acoustic and electro-magnetic, that simulated a larger high value unit. The Rivers were also armed with a single [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm Bofors gun]] on the manually operated [[World War II]]-era Mark III mounting, and two [[FN MAG|L7 GPMGs]].

The concept was refined in the [[Chartering (shipping)|chartered]] trawlers HMS ''St David'' and [[Venturer-class minesweeper|HMS ''Venturer'']], and a total of twelve vessels, all named after [[List of rivers of the United Kingdom|British rivers]], were constructed by [[Richards (Shipbuilders) Ltd]] at [[Lowestoft]] and [[Great Yarmouth]] at an approximate unit cost of £4.6 million. The class was designed to operate in deep water and ocean environments, if necessary, for long periods of time without support. The complement was 5 officers, 7 Senior Ratings, and 16 Junior Ratings, although additional accommodation meant that a total crew of 36 could be borne for training purposes.

==Service history==
Upon entering service they joined the 10th Mine Countermeasures Squadron based at [[Rosyth Dockyard|Rosyth]] and eleven were assigned to various [[Royal Naval Reserve]] (RNR) divisions around the United Kingdom. The twelfth, {{HMS|Blackwater|M2008|2}}, entered service with the regular Royal Navy. Following defence cuts, {{HMS|Helmsdale|M2010|2}} and {{HMS|Ribble|M2012|2}} were paid off in 1991 and were laid up at [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]]. Further cuts followed when the future of the RNR was reviewed in 1993 and as a result the entire class was withdrawn from RNR service.

''Blackwater'', {{HMS|Spey|M2013|2}}, {{HMS|Arun|M2014|2}} and {{HMS|Itchen|M2009|2}} were subsequently assigned to the [[Northern Ireland Squadron]] where they replaced {{sclass2|Ton|minesweeper|0}} vessels patrolling the province's waterways and participating in counter-terrorist operations in support of the [[British Army]] and the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] (RUC). {{HMS|Orwell|M2011|2}} replaced {{HMS|Wilton|M1116|2}}, the last Ton-class vessel in service, as the [[Britannia Royal Naval College|Dartmouth Training Ship]] in 1994. Ultimately, the entire class was sold to overseas navies.

==Ships==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ships<ref>Colledge, 2006</ref>
|-
!Ship name
!Hull number
!Built
!Commissioned
!Decommissioned
!Notes
|-
	| {{HMS|Waveney|M2003|2}}
	| M2003
	|Lowestoft
| 12 July 1984
	| 3 October 1994 
	| Initially known as ''Amethyst''. Sold to [[Bangladesh]] and renamed [[BNS Shapla|BNS ''Shapla'']]; currently active
|-
	| {{HMS|Carron|M2004|2}}
	| M2004
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 30 September 1984
	| 3 October 1994
	| Sold to Bangladesh and renamed [[BNS Shaikat|BNS ''Shaikat'']]; currently active
|-
	| {{HMS|Dovey|M2005|2}}
	| M2005
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 30 March 1985
	| 3 October 1994
	| Sold to Bangladesh and renamed [[BNS Surovi|BNS ''Surovi'']]; currently active
|-
	| {{HMS|Helford|M2006|2}}
	| M2006
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 7 June 1985
	| 3 October 1994
	| Sold to Bangladesh and renamed [[BNS Shaibal|BNS ''Shaibal'']]; currently active
|-
	| {{HMS|Humber|M2007|2}}
	| M2007
	|Lowestoft
| 7 June 1985
	| 21 January 1995
	| Sold to [[Brazil]] and renamed ''Amorim Do Valle''; currently active as a buoy tender<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Balizador/Navio Hidroceanográfico Amorim do Valle - H 35 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/A/A062/A062.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Blackwater|M2008|2}}
	| M2008 
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 5 July 1985
	| 3 October 1994 
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed  ''Benevente''; currently active as a patrol corvette<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Patrulha Benevente - P 61 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/B/B037/B037.htm |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Itchen|M2009|2}}
	| M2009 
	|Lowestoft
| 12 October 1985
	| April 1998
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed ''Jorge Leite'', then ''Bracui''; currently active as a patrol corvette<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Patrulha Bracuí - P 60 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/B/B061/B061.htm |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Helmsdale|M2010|2}}
	| M2010
	|Lowestoft
| 1 March 1986
	| 1995
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed ''Garnier Sampaio''; <ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Balizador Garnier Sampaio - H 37 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/G/G013/G013.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Orwell|M2011|2}}
	| M2011
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 7 February 1985
	| 2001
	| Sold to [[Guyana]] and renamed ''GDFS Essequibo''; currently active as a coast guard vessel
|-
	| {{HMS|Ribble|M2012|2}}
	| M2012
	|Gt Yarmouth
| 19 February 1986
	| 1995
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed ''Jorge Leite'', then ''Taurus''; as a survey ship<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Hidroceanográfico Taurus - H 36 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/T/T017/T017.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Spey|M2013|2}}
	| M2013
	|Lowestoft
| 4 April 1986
	| 1998
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed ''Pegasus'' then ''Bocaina''; currently active as a patrol corvette<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Patrulha Bocaina - P 62 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/B/B052/B052.htm |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|-
	| {{HMS|Arun|M2014|2}}
	| M2014
	|
| 29 April 1986
	| 1998
	| Sold to Brazil and renamed ''Babitonga''; currently active as a patrol corvette<ref>{{Cite web |title=NGB - Navio Patrulha Babitonga - P 63 |url=https://www.naval.com.br/ngb/B/B002/B002.htm |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.naval.com.br}}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist}}
==References==
{{Commons category|River class minesweeper}}
*Paul Beaver ''Britain's Modern Royal Navy'', Patrick Stephens Limited, 1996, {{ISBN|1-85260-442-5}}
* {{cite book |title=Rebuilding the Royal Navy : Warship Design Since 1945 |first1=D. K. |last1=Brown |first2=George |last2=Moore |publisher= Chatham Publishing |date= 2003}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{citation |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198889/cmhansrd/1989-10-23/Writtens-9.html  |date=1989-10-23 |work= House of Commons Written Questions |title=Navy Vessels |author=[[Michael Neubert]] (Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement) |at=col 357-361 |publisher=UK Parliament}}
*{{citation|author= [[Archie Hamilton]] |url= https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1992-07-16/Writtens-8.html |title = Minesweepers |work=House of Commons Written Answers to Questions |date= 16 July 1992 |publisher=UK Parliament |at=col 933-934 }}

[[Category:Cold War minesweepers of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]
[[Category:River-class minesweepers| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]