HMS ''Puncher'' is an of the Royal Navy. She is permanently based at HMNB Portsmouth and forms part of the First Patrol Boat Squadron (1PBS). ''Puncher'' is primarily tasked with training the officer cadets and midshipmen of the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
's
University Royal Naval Unit (London URNU). She also provides a training platform for young officers undertaking training during the Royal Navy's initial warfare officers' course, and has also been used in the coastal protection role, most notably during Operation Olympic, the security operation surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Deployments
''Puncher'' operates from HMNB Portsmouth conducting navigation training in and around the Solent. She also regularly deploys out of area, often in the company of other P2000s, with the task of providing practical navigation and seamanship training to the ship's students. Recent deployments have included the Baltic and Northern Europe. Puncher attended ''Kieler Woche'' ("
Kiel Week") in 2011 with her sister ship and ships from several navies.
As of the 2020s, 14 of the Navy's 16 ''Archer''-class vessels are assigned to the inshore division of the
Coastal Forces Squadron. In this capacity, they can be assigned deployments further afield. In June 2024, ''Puncher'' and her sister ship , embarked personnel from the Navy's the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group and deployed for
exercises in the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
. The vessels operated an IVER 3 autonomous vehicle and a Video Ray Defender remotely operated vehicle to find mines on the seabed.
Ship's company
''Puncher'' has a permanent crew of five regular Royal Navy personnel, one officer and four ratings, who fulfil the minimum necessary seagoing complement of the vessel. The ship's company is also regularly boosted by up to 12 (more typically 10) URNU officer cadets and midshipmen who are normally accompanied by a Royal Naval Reserve training officer. Alternately the berths may be used by any other personnel who are required to live aboard.
Affiliations
Like most Royal Navy ships, ''Puncher'' is affiliated with various organisations and a port:
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702 Naval Air Squadron
702 Naval Air Squadron (702 NAS), also referred to as 702 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Westland Lynx, as the Lynx Headquarters and Training Squadr ...
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Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council
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Worshipful Company of Bakers
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Seafarers UK
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Little Ship Club
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Town of Eastbourne
*Eastbourne
Sea Cadet Corps
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Eastbourne Lifeboat
*Royal Navy Old Comrades Club Eastbourne
Notes
References
External links
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Archer-class patrol vessels
1988 ships
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