Small Bird Class Patrol Craft

These two vessels were originally built for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as Search and Rescue Craft named HMAFV Sunderland and HMAFV Stirling. They were part of the RAF HQ 1102 Maritime Craft Unit based at Gibraltar but this was disbanded and on April 28th 1985 the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron was commissioned in its place. Sunderland and Stirling were consequently commissioned into the Navy as HMS Cormorant and HMS Hart, respectively.

Cormorant and Hart's principle function in the Gibraltar Squadron was to carry out Search and Rescue (SAR) operations and to maintain a constant British presence in the territory- 'flying the flag' in potentially turbulent waters. They also supported units of the fleet and undertook routine policing and defence duties of the British territorial waters around the Rock.

Cormorant and Hart displaced 64 tonnes and measured 23.7 metres in length and 5.5 metres in breadth and they had a complement of 8.

In May 1991 Cormorant and Hart were replaced in the Squadron by the Archer Class Coastal Training Craft Trumpeter and Raider.

Class Details

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© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. First uploaded 10th February 2001. Updated 10th February 2001. Disclaimer.