A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft , patrol ship , or patrol vessel ) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence , border security , or law enforcement . There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy , coast guard , police , or customs , and may be intended for marine (" blue water "), estuarine (" green water "), or river (" brown water ") environments.
21-575: LÉ Eithne (P31) was a patrol vessel in service with the Irish Naval Service . The ship is named after Eithne , a tragic heroine and the daughter of the one-eyed Fomorian King , Balor in an early Irish romantic tale. Eithne was the flagship of the Irish Naval Service. Eithne was originally built as a Helicopter Patrol Vessel for long-range fisheries patrol vessel, intended to be at sea for up to 30 days. She
42-621: A yacht or rigid inflatable boat . They can include fast attack craft , torpedo boats , and missile boats . They may be broadly classified as inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) or offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). OPVs and medium size cutters are usually the smallest ship in a navy's fleet that are large and seaworthy enough to patrol off-shore in the open ocean , while IPVs are typically too small to do so and are instead kept in lakes or rivers , or close to coasts ; IPVs specifically used in rivers can also be called "riverine patrol vessels". Large patrol vessels, Heavy patrol vessels and Large cutters are
63-409: A country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but they may also be used in other roles, such as anti- smuggling , anti- piracy , fishery patrols, immigration law enforcement, or search and rescue . Depending on the size, organization, and capabilities of a nation's armed forces, the importance of patrol boats may range from minor support vessels that are part of a coast guard, to flagships that make up
84-417: A majority of a navy's fleet. Their small size and relatively low cost make them one of the most common naval vessels in the world. The classification of a patrol boat is often subjective, but they are generally small naval vessels that are used to patrol national waters or a certain jurisdiction . They may be as large as a corvette or even a frigate , though the term may also be used for vessels as small as
105-633: The Pegasus class of armed hydrofoils for years in a patrol boat role. During the Vietnam War , the U.S. Navy ordered 193 aluminum hulled Patrol Craft, Fast (PCFs), also known as Swiftboats , for brown water naval operations. The Patrol Boat, River (PBR, sometimes called "Riverine" and "Pibber") was a fiberglass hulled vessel also designed and used for inland river operations during the Vietnam War, and became an icon of water operations during
126-723: The Dublin Port company also hoped to use the vessel as a museum ship in Dublin. However, as of late 2023, the vessel was reputedly due to be "broken up for recycled scrap, after plans to convert the HPV into a museum came to nothing". On 5 March 2024, Eithne was towed from her berth at Haulbowline naval base to Cork Dockyard, formerly Verolme Dockyard (where she was built), to join Cíara and Orla to await disposal. Patrol boat Per their name, patrol boats are primarily used to patrol
147-546: The Minister of State at the Department of Defence Paul Kehoe (who suggested that the vessel was removed for "routine maintenance") contradicted previous statements made by Flag Officer Commander Mick Malone (who confirmed that the vessel would be tied-up "until adequate numbers of [..] personnel are available"). In March 2020, Eithne was returned to active service and deployed to Cork as part of Ireland's response to
168-677: The military engineering branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland . The Corps is responsible for combat engineering , construction engineering , and fire fighting services within the Defence Forces. The main role of the combat engineers is to provide engineering on the battlefield; the Corps has successfully leveraged its skill and expertise in several of the Irish Army 's deployments on United Nations operations. Following
189-589: The Engineer Corps was deployed to construct Camp Ciara in advance of a contingent of more than 500 troops. Army engineers were deployed alongside personnel from the Naval Service and NSR in early 2020 as part of Ireland's response to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). As in all aspects of society, legislative changes and technological advances have required workforces to become more specialised and more highly skilled. The Irish Defence Forces
210-657: The School of Military Engineering were added to the establishment. The Corps has a wide variety of roles, covering conventional warfare, and training for the Defence Forces. With such a wide range of skills, the Engineer Corps provide a variety of support to the Army. This support includes anything from the provision of: The Corps have seen active service in UNMIK ), Somalia ( UNOSOM II ), Congo ( ONUC ), Lebanon ( UNIFIL ), Liberia ( UNMIL ) & Chad ( EUFOR Tchad/RCA ) - where
231-653: The cancer-causing substance, after asbestos was also found on board LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla . In May 2015 Minister of Defence Simon Coveney announced the deployment of Eithne to the Mediterranean as part of the EU's ongoing rescue mission for migrants. Together with other Naval Service vessels, between 2015 and 2017 Eithne undertook a number of deployments in the Mediterranean, rescuing several hundred migrants as part of each mission. In late 2018,
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#1732780851964252-402: The coronavirus pandemic , alongside NSR personnel and Army engineers . In July 2022 LÉ Eithne , together with LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla , was decommissioned, to be replaced with a new multi-role vessel. Following her decommissioning, Cork County Council requested the transfer of Eithne to the city for preservation as a museum ship . It was also reported, in early 2023, that
273-537: The establishment of the Irish Free State on 6 December 1922 General Routine Orders were issued which laid down the organisation of the first centralised Defence Forces. From an engineering point of view there were three particular problem areas to be overcome:- To meet these requirements three (3) Corps were set up: The Corps of Engineers was established and took over from these three Corps with effect from 1 October 1924. In 1931 Field Engineer Companies and
294-464: The first-ever deployment of an Irish ship in the southern hemisphere, in order to participate in commemorations of the impending sesquicentenary of the death of Admiral William Brown who had been born in Ireland. The ship brought back a statue of Brown for display in Dublin. In 2014, asbestos was found on the ship necessitating a clean-up. Eithne was the third Naval Service vessel found to contain
315-913: The largest type of patrol ships and are typically more than 100 m (330 ft) in length. Seagoing patrol boats are typically around 30 m (100 ft) in length and usually carry a single medium caliber artillery gun as main armament, and a variety of lighter secondary armament such as machine guns , while others include the sophisticated close-in weapon system . Depending on their role, vessels in this class may also have more sophisticated sensors and fire control systems that would enable them to carry torpedoes , anti-ship missiles , and surface-to-air missiles . During both World Wars, in order to rapidly build up numbers, all sides created auxiliary patrol boats by arming motorboats and seagoing fishing trawlers with machine guns and obsolete naval weapons. Some modern patrol vessels are still based on fishing and leisure boats. The United States Navy operated
336-534: The navigation systems onboard Eithne were upgraded to use a Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS), reportedly making it the first vessel in the Naval Service fleet to "achieve paperless navigation". In mid-2019 LÉ Eithne , together with LÉ Orla , was "withdrawn from operations [..] indefinitely due to a lack of personnel". The manner and messaging on the vessel's removal from service caused some controversy, as statements from
357-467: The period 2010–2014 List of Irish Naval Service vessels; Additionally, the Royal Swedish Navy also operates smaller types of patrol boats (Swedish: bevakningsbåt = "guard boat"): The Swedish Coast Guard operate an additional 22 patrol vessels for maritime surveillance. Corps of Engineers (Ireland) The Corps of Engineers ( ENGR ) ( Irish : An Cór Innealtóirí ) is
378-544: The vessel's early years of service. These operations stopped in later years, due in part to the purchase of CASA CN235 -100MP Persuader Maritime Patrol Aircraft and decommissioning of the Dauphin helicopters. The vessel was fitted with retractable fin stabilisers to reduce rolling during helicopter operations at sea. She was the only ship in her class, as the other planned members of the Eithne -class were never built. Eithne
399-831: The war due to its use in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now . Most modern designs are powered by gas turbine arrangements such as CODAG , and speeds are generally in the 25–30 knots (46–56 km/h; 29–35 mph) range. The largest OPVs might also have a flight deck and helicopter embarked. In times of crisis or war, these vessels are expected to support the larger vessels in a navy, though some smaller navies are mostly composed of just patrol boats. 35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships, Commissioned in 2021 The Bangladesh Navy classified its medium size patrol ships as large patrol craft (LPC) which are armed with either anti-ship missiles or torpedoes . Those ships typically have heavier armaments but less range than OPVs. 35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships, during
420-575: Was the last ship of the Irish Naval Service to have been built in Ireland , constructed at Verolme Dockyard at Rushbrooke , County Cork and completed in 1984. Shipbuilding operations ceased at the yard in 1984, and the yard went into receivership . In July 2005 LÉ Eithne represented Ireland at the International Fleet Review at Portsmouth , England . In April–June 2006 Eithne travelled to Buenos Aires , Argentina , in
441-474: Was the only ship in her class, as the other planned members of the Eithne -class were never built. Decommissioned in July 2022 after 38 years with the Irish Naval Service, Eithne has been laid up awaiting disposal since 2023. Eithne was designed to carry a SA365F Dauphin helicopter, and was the only ship in the Irish Naval Service fleet to have a flight deck. Helicopter operations were limited primarily to
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