Peacock class patrol vessel

BRP Artemio Ricarte (ex-HMS Starling)
Class overview
Name:	Peacock class
Builders:	Hall, Russell & Company, Aberdeen
Operators:	Philippine Navy  Irish Naval Service
Preceded by:	Castle class
Succeeded by:	Falklands Islands class
In commission:	1 December 1982 - 1996 (Royal Navy)
Completed:	5
Active:	5 (None in RN Service) Philippine Navy: HMS Peacock (P239) HMS Plover (P240) HMS Starling (P241) Irish Navy: HMS Swallow (P242) HMS Swift (P243)
General characteristics
Type:	Corvette
Displacement:	712 tons full load
Length:	62.6 m (205 ft 5 in)
Beam:	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draught:	2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:	2 diesels, 2 shafts, 14,188 bhp (10,580 kW)
Speed:	25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Complement:	30 - 40
Armament:	1 × OTO Melara 76 mm Compact DP gun on both Irish & Philippine vessels 2 × Rh202 Rheinmetall 20 mm cannon only on Irish vessels 4 × 7.62 mm MG only on Irish vessels 1 × 25 mm M242 Bushmaster on MSI Defence Seahawk mount (only in Philippine vessels) 2 × 20 mm Mk. 16 cannon on Mk 68 mounts (only in Philippine vessels) 2 × M2 Browning 12.7 mm/50 calibre machine guns (only in Philippine vessels)

The Peacock class is a class of patrol corvette built for the Royal Navy. Five were constructed, and by 1997 all had been sold to the Irish Naval Service or the Philippine Navy.

The five ships of this class were originally part of the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy. The ships were built by Hall, Russell & Company of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom and were commissioned into Royal Navy service between 1983 and 1985. They were specifically built for service in Hong Kong with the 6th Patrol Craft Squadron; for work in tropical climates they were fully air conditioned and were capable of remaining at sea during typhoons. As well as ‘flying the flag’ and providing a constant naval presence in region, they could undertake a number of different roles including Seamanship, Navigation and Gunnery training and Search-and-Rescue duties for which they had facilities to carry divers (including a decompression chamber) and equipment to recover vessels and aircraft. They also worked with the Marine Department of the Hong Kong Police and with Customs & Excise to decrease the constant flow of illegal immigrants, narcotics and electronic equipment into the colony. For these roles each vessel could carry two Avon Searider SR5M rigid-hulled inflatable boats and a small detachment of Royal Marines.

HMS Peacock (P239), HMS Plover (P240), and HMS Starling (P241) were sold to the Philippines and were officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 1 August 1997 after Hong Kong was returned to China. In Philippine service they are designated Emilio Jacinto-class corvettes, and have been considerably 'up-gunned' with a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster and two 20 mm Oerlikon guns.

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Wikipedia