Bahrain Navy takes delivery of ex-HMS Clyde River-Class offshore patrol vessel from British Navy.

According to a Tweet released by Navy Lookout, on August 8, 2020, ex-HMS Clyde River-Class offshore patrol vessel of the British Navy has been sold by BAE Systems Maritime to Bahrain. Now re-named BNS Al-Zubarah and handed over to Bahraini Navy at a ceremony in Portsmouth on August 7, 2020.
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Ex-HMS Clyde River-Class offshore patrol vessel of British Navy, now BNS Al-Zubarah of Bahrain Navy. (Picture source NavyLookout)

The HMS Clyde is a decommissioned offshore patrol vessel and is the tenth ship in the British Royal Navy to bear the name. She was launched on 14 June 2006 in Portsmouth Naval Base by VT Group shipbuilders in Portsmouth, England, and is the fourth vessel of the River class, with a displacement of 2,000 tones and a 30 mm Oerlikon KCB gun in place of the 20 mm gun fitted to Tyne River-class ships.

In February 2005, the Ministry of Defense placed an order with VT for the charter of a fourth modified River-class offshore patrol vessel. This fourth ship, Clyde, was constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard and replaced the two Castle-class patrol vessels for duties around the South Atlantic and the Falkland Islands.

The HMS Clyde has length 81.5 m (267 ft 5 in) hull, a top speed of 21 kn (39 km/h), a 30 mm cannon, two miniguns, and mountings for five general-purpose machine guns. Clyde's elongated hull permits a 20-meter strengthened flight deck able to accommodate a Merlin-sized helicopter.

The ship has a full load displacement between 1,850 and 2,000 tones. She is powered by two Ruston 12RK 270 engines developing 4,125 kW (5,532 hp) at 1,000 rpm.