List of Border Force cutters (UK)
This List of Border Force cutters is a listing of all cutters to have been commissioned by the Border Force and its predecessors since the amalgamation of HM Customs with the Excise department of the Inland Revenue in the early 20th century. During that time, the cutter service has been overseen successively by:
- Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; which merged with the Inland Revenue in 2005 to form:
- Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs;[1] which in 2008 transferred its frontline customs controls to:
- the UK Border Agency; which in 2012 was split to form Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.
Prior to the formation of HM Customs and Excise in 1909, revenue cruisers of various types were operated in UK waters by various bodies: not only the separately constituted Boards of Customs and Excise, but also the Admiralty and the Coast Guard.[2]
For much of the 20th century, the Cutters were supplemented by a fleet of smaller 'launches'; but these were non-seagoing vessels, restricted to patrolling rivers and estuaries.[3]
In 1980 HMCE's Revenue Cutter Service was renamed the Customs Cutter Service. Thenceforward its vessels bore the ship prefix "HMCC" - Her Majesty's Customs Cutter (previously they had long been known as HM Revenue Cutters).[3] Following the flotilla's transfer to the UK Border Agency they were given the prefix "HMC" - Her Majesty's Cutter; all current vessels of the UK Border Force bear this prefix.
Pre-Second World War[]
For the first part of the 20th century HM Customs and Excise made do with a single Customs Cutter:[2]
- Vigilant (1902-1920) built by Cox & Co. of Falmouth[4]
- Vigilant (1919-1928) (formerly HMS Esther)[3]
After 1928 no new Cutter was procured until after the Second World War, HMCE seeking instead to rely on its Launches.
Post-war[]
- HMRC Vigilant (1946-1962), a former Royal Navy Isles-class trawler
- Valiant (1947-1967), a former Royal Navy Motor Launch
- Vincent (1948-1965), a former Royal Navy Motor Launch
V-class[]
- Venturous (1962-1980) built to Customs specifications
- Vigilant (1965-1980)
- Valiant (1968-1979)
Tracker-class[]
- HMCC Active (1976–1988)
- HMCC Alert (1976–1983)
- HMCC Challenge (1977–1989)
- HMCC Champion (1978–1989)
- HMCC Safeguard (1979–1993)
- HMCC Swift (1978–1993)
Fast patrol vessel[]
- HMCC Searcher (1979-2001)[5]
- HMCC Seeker (1980-2001)
Protector-class[]
- HMCC Valiant (1988–2003)
- HMCC Vigilant (1989–2003)
- HMCC Venturous (1989–2003)
- HMCC Vincent (1993–2004)
Island-class[]
- HMC Sentinel (1993–2013)
UKBF 42m Customs Cutter[]
- HMC Seeker (2001)
- HMC Searcher (2002)
- HMC Vigilant (2003)
- HMC Valiant (2004)
Telkkä-class[]
- HMC Protector (2014)[6][7]
Coastal patrol vessels[]
- HMC Active (2016)
- (2016)
- HMC Eagle (2016)[8][9]
- HMC Nimrod (2016)
- (2018)[10][11][12][13]
- (2018)[10]
Image gallery[]
HMC Seeker
HMC Vigilant
HMC Valiant
HMC Protector
HMC Nimrod
References[]
- ^ Cutters List of Revenue Cutters
- ^ a b Smith, Graham (1980). Something to Declare: 1000 Years of Customs and Excise. London: Harrap.
- ^ a b c Smith, Graham (1983). King's Cutters: The Revenue Service and the War against Smuggling. London: Conway Maritime Press.
- ^ "The Restoration of Vigilant". Medway Maritime Trust. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ Photo, 1998
- ^ HMC Protector: Customs patrol boat launched, bbc.com, 17 March 2014 - "It will be located in Portsmouth and will operate around the UK coastline."
- ^ "Home Secretary launches new Border Force cutter to protect UK coastline". gov.uk. HM Government. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Patrol boat deployed in English Channel as Calais 'Jungle' prepares to be demolished". 15 March 2017.
- ^ Pyman, Tom. "Border Force introduces more coastal patrol boats in bid to step up security off Kent coast". Kent News. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Planned Maintenance and Annual Recertification of UKBF Coastal Patrol Vessels Hunter and Speedwell [Award]".
- ^ Johnson, Jamie; Hymas, Charles (21 January 2019). "Border Force ships ordered to patrol the Channel for migrants are still in the Mediterranean". The Telegraph.
- ^ "The world news platform".
- ^ "Migrants rescued as crisis continues". 21 January 2019.
External links[]
- Customs cutters of the United Kingdom