Facing the need to incorporate new offshore patrol platforms, and following the failure of the contract with the Spanish shipyard Cardama for the construction of two OPVs, the Uruguayan Navy has sent a delegation to the United Kingdom to assess the patrol vessels offered by the British government. The decision reflects the Executive Branch’s interest in acquiring new maritime surveillance capabilities within shorter timeframes, following recent setbacks in procurement, as part of a broader process of redefining naval policy with a focus on rapidly available solutions.
In this context, the government of President Yamandú Orsi has decided to dispatch an official mission composed of two Navy captains (one from the Line Corps and another from the Engineering Corps of Machinery and Electricity), who will travel next May to the port of Southampton. The objective will be to gain first-hand knowledge of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) under consideration, in what constitutes an initial formal approach to the units being offered.
The vessels under evaluation correspond to the first generation of River-class patrol ships: HMS Tyne (P281), HMS Severn (P282), and HMS Mersey (P283), in service since 2003 and scheduled for decommissioning before 2028. Their retirement is part of the British fleet’s modernization process, aligned with NATO member states’ defense investment commitments, opening a window of opportunity for their potential transfer to Uruguay.
One of the key aspects to be defined concerns the ships’ operational capabilities. While they have space for vertical replenishment, they lack a helicopter flight deck, a requirement considered essential in previous tenders. Nevertheless, the current administration values certain logistical features of these vessels, in a context where the urgency to strengthen maritime surveillance is beginning to outweigh the incorporation of more complex capabilities.
In economic terms, estimates handled in official circles indicate that each unit would cost over 20 million dollars, a figure considerably lower than the approximately 60 million dollars required to build a new OPV from scratch at a shipyard. This difference positions the British offer as a particularly attractive alternative from a budgetary standpoint.
The analysis of these options is taking place in a scenario shaped by recent precedents. Months ago, the U.S. government had offered the transfer of a Reliance-class Coast Guard patrol vessel as an interim solution, an alternative that remains under evaluation. At the same time, the termination of the contract with Cardama has forced the Executive to explore government-to-government agreements with new partners, including Naval Group and Navantia, while the future of the partially completed and funded construction initiated by Uruguay is determined.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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