HMS Severn Re-Commissioned Into Royal Navy After Nearly Three Years

Offshore patrol vessel HMS Severn has been re-commissioned into the Royal Navy, nearly three years after she was decommissioned.

The ship left the active fleet in October 2017 after 14 years of service.

Just over a year later, then-Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced she would return, deemed too important to UK defence to be disposed of.

Along with her sister ships HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne, she is able to escort passing foreign warships, conduct inspections of fishing vessels, and protect the UK border.

Severn's sailors have completed three weeks of operational sea training to bring her back to readiness.

They will play an important role in training Royal Navy navigators, who will join the ship for testing pilotage off the west coast of Scotland and in the English Channel.

Commanding Officer, Commander Philip Harper, said: "We have regenerated Severn and successfully completed three weeks of basic operational sea training. This is the first time in living memory that the Royal Navy has re-commissioned a ship, and it’s been a challenge.

"We’ve achieved all of this during a global pandemic."

Severn’s crew spend four weeks on board, then two weeks on shore, with around a third of them making the switch at any time.

The Royal Navy said by having the "off watch" in isolation at home, while the rest of the crew members are at sea, has maintained smooth transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cover image: HMS Severn off the coast of Brighton (Picture: Royal Navy).