Cheap as Ships

Royal Navy in talks to sell Batch I offshore patrol vessels to Uruguay

Local media reports the UK has offered to sell the three River-class Batch I OPVs, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn to the Uruguayan Navy when they go out of service in 2028.

In October 2025, the Uruguayan government announced that it would terminate a contract with Spanish shipyard Cardama, signed in December 2023, for two 1,500-tonne OPVs that were due to be delivered in 2028. The reasons given for the cancellation were “contractual irregularities” and possible fraud.

The acquisition of second-hand OPVs by Uruguay is seen as a short-term solution to the gap left while plans are developed to acquire new-build vessels in the longer term. The River-class would meet the Uruguayan Navy’s requirements for ocean-going vessels. Each ship would reportedly be sold for around $20M (£15M), compared with around $60M for a brand-new OPV. The Uruguayans will need to see more detailed technical documentation and consider support arrangements before advancing negotiations...

All three Batch I OPVs have now completed a life extension refit designed to see them serve for another five years and have been well-maintained throughout their lives. Inevitably, there is no plan to replace them in 2028 as there is no budget. Some of the Batch II OPVs, mostly forward-deployed overseas, will have to be brought back home to take over their roles while Type 31 frigates eventually replace them. The vague official line is now that the first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer, will not enter service “until the end of the decade”, so another gap is looming. Building a new batch of low-cost OPVs would be a sensible solution, or at least extending the Batch I in service rather than selling them overseas.