LÉ Róisín (P51)
Encyclopedia
LÉ Róisín (P51) is the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class of offshore patrol vessel in the Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
.
History
Róisín was built by Appledore ShipbuildersAppledore Shipbuilders
-History:The Appledore Yard was founded in 1855 on the estuary of the River Torridge. The Richmond Dry Dock was built in 1856 by William Yeo and named after Richmond Bay in Prince Edward Island, where the Yeo family's shipping fleet was based....
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, entered service with the Irish Naval Service in September 1999 and is based at the Haulbowline
Haulbowline
Haulbowline is the name of an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. It is the main naval base and headquarters for the Irish Naval Service.-Etymology:...
Island, Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...
Headquarters and Dockyard.
Róisín or Róisín Dúbh, is often used as an allegory for Ireland. However the original Róisín Dúbh was a daughter of Red Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone in the late 16th Century.
Design
The ship was designed by STX Canada Marine (formerly Kvaerner Masa Marine) and has an all-steel hull based on the MauritianMauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
Vigilant patrol vessel launched in 1995, but without the helicopter deck and hangar facilities. The high level of automation incorporated into the ship's systems allows the ship to be operated with just 47 crew including eight officers. The crew is provided with comfortable accommodation. The vessel is designed for winter North Atlantic operations.
Weapons systems
The ship is armed with an OTO Melara 76 mm gunOtobreda 76 mm
The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
dual purpose gun installed on the bow gun deck. The gun fires 6 kg shells and is capable of firing up to 85 rounds per minute to a range of over 15 km. There are also two 12.7 mm machine guns and two 20mm Rheinmetall Rh202 Canon for Anti-Aircraft defence.
The main gun is controlled by an Ultra Electronics Command and Control Systems, Radamec 1500 optronic director with a daylight TV camera, thermal imaging camera and eyesafe laser rangefinder. System 1500 functions in automatic or manual mode. The system provides fire control for surface engagement with spotting corrections in both line and range and has an effective secondary self-defence anti-air capability. System 1500 can detect a small patrol boat at ranges in excess of 12 km, night or day. The ship's Kelvin Hughes surface search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, operating at E, F and I bands, is installed high on the main mast over the bridge. The Kelvin Hughes navigation radar operates at I-band.
Command and control
The communications package includes VHF, HF, InmarsatInmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
Global Maritime Distress Safety System
Global Maritime Distress Safety System
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System is an internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment, and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft....
(GMDSS) and Differential Global Positioning System
Differential GPS
Differential Global Positioning System is an enhancement to Global Positioning System that provides improved location accuracy, from the 15-meter nominal GPS accuracy to about 10 cm in case of the best implementations....
(DFPS) and secure communications. Three inflatable boats are deployed from each ship; two 6.5 m Delta rigid inflatable boats
Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
A rigid-hulled inflatable boat, or rigid-inflatable boat is a light-weight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The design is stable and seaworthy...
(RIB) launched with Caley davits, and a single Avon 5.4 m RIB.
Propulsion
The ship is powered by two WartsilaWärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
16V26 diesel engines each developing 5,000 kW continuous power. The engines drive two shafts with Lips inboard turning controllable pitch propellers via single reduction gearboxes. Each propeller is 2,500 mm in diameter and functions at 300 rpm.
The engines provide a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h) with a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km) at a cruising speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).
A Brunvoll FU45 CPP bow thrusters, rated at 340 kW with 5.6 tonnes-force (55 kN) thrust, is fitted for precision manoeuvring and station keeping. A pair of non-retractable anti-roll fin stabilisers is also fitted.
Three Caterpillar 3412D1-T generators each deliver 405 kWe at 1,500 rpm. One Caterpillar 3406D1-T emergency generator delivers 205 kWe at 1,500 rpm.
Other
The Róisín was the first vessel on scene after the fire onboard the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
off the northwestern coast of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 5 October 2004. As the Róisín attempted to assist the submarine, she suffered serious damage by the rough seas and was forced to return to harbour.