DSEI 2021: Royal Navy showcases Archer-class HMS Biter.

At the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition, which took place from 14 to 17 September in London, the patrol boat HMS Biter was present for the first time.

Archer-class patrol vessel HMS Biter at DSEI 2021 (Picture source: Navy Recognition)

HMS BITER recently conducted training with the La Spezia Marine Policing Unit and participated in Exercise Strike Warrior 21 to simulate fast inshore attack boats and test the responses of all Task Group platforms including aircraft, ships and submarines. HMS RANGER recently supported security operations for the G7 Summit and officer training in Portsmouth.

HMS Biter is an Archer-class P2000-type patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy. She is assigned to Manchester & Salford Universities Royal Naval Unit, a Royal Naval Reserve unit based in Manchester. The ship is based at HMS Eaglet, the Royal Naval Headquarters in Liverpool.

The Archer class (or P2000) is a class of patrol and training vessel in service with the Seafuture's Royal Navy, commonly referred to as a Fast Training Boat. Most are assigned to University Royal Naval Units, although HMS Tracker and HMS Raider are armed and provide maritime force protection to high-value shipping in the Firth of Clyde and are most commonly employed as escorts for submarines transiting to Faslane. Pursuer and Dasher are also armed and provide maritime force protection operating with the Gibraltar Squadron.

They are twin-shaft vessels with moulded glass-reinforced plastic hulls of 54 tonnes displacement.

The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models employed by both Allied and Axis forces during World War II, and many versions are still in use today.