'Interest': Uruguay considers buying HMS Tyne, Mersey and Severn from Royal Navy with talks 'gaining traction'

Merco Press and El Observador reports that Uruguay has “interest” in acquiring HMS Tyne, Severn, and Mersey. The three Portsmouth-based vessels are in batch 1 of the River-class offshore patrols vessels.

These ships are flexible and tasked with various missions across the globe, from retaining British presence in the Caribbean, Pacific, and elsewhere, to patrolling British waters and monitoring Russian warships and submarines.

The trio were commissioned into the Royal Navy fleet in 2003 and are due to be decommissioned at the end of their lifespan in 2028.

Merco Press said talks to acquire the vessels has “gained traction in recent weeks” as they meet the Uruguayan Navy’s requirements for open-ocean operations beyond 100 nautical miles. A patrol gap occurred in the nation’s force arose following the cancellation of the a contract with the Spanish shipyard Cardama.

Reports in El Observador said the Uruguayan Navy will request detailed technical documentation on propulsion systems, electrical systems, weaponry, sensors, and spare parts before advancing negotiations. It added that each vessel would cost roughly $20m.

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The nation is also interested in acquiring a Reliance-class vessel offered as a donation from the US, although it lacks the capability of open-ocean navigation. El Observador said British negotiations with the UK are under strict confidentiality.

The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment.

HMS Tyne and a Wildcat helicopter were both scrambled in March after Russia’s Ropucha-class landing ship Aleksandr Otrakovsky and merchant vessel Sparta IV while sailing through the English Channel. The ship was deployed again 48 hours after this to track another Ropucha-class warship, Aleksandr Shabalin, and cargo vessel MV Sabetta. The Royal Navy described the merchant ships as being “sanctioned”.

HMS Tyne’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Matt Cavill, previously said: “Maintaining the security of our Island Nation is paramount to ensuring we can project a global presence. The way in which we collaborate with allied nations assures us of the collective strength which we require in an uncertain world. Operations such as these are vital to demonstrate resolve, protect our waters and gain intelligence to support future operations.”