https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bord ... ue-mission
Heres the type of vessel in question. (Thats not a gun on the front its a water cannon )Border Force officers were among a rescue team that saved more than 100 migrants in the Mediterranean yesterday, including three small children and three heavily pregnant women.
HMC Protector, one of Border Force’s cutters, was on patrol for Operation Triton south of Sicily yesterday afternoon when it was alerted by the Italian Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre in Rome to a migrant boat in distress 60 miles from the coast of Libya.
A total of 104 migrants have now been taken to Lampedusa, among them were 51 men, 50 women and three small children.
HMC Protector and HMC Seeker, two of the Border Force cutter fleet, were deployed to Frontex’s Operation Triton in order to support search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean
Proof small cheap vessels can be useful.
Exactly what the UK needs more of in my opinion. Saves us wasting out real sips on menial tasks. Preforming the role just as well as a light frigate/corvette, but for a fraction of the cost.
border force Scottish fisheries and royal navy all doing similar things. Soon the UK will have a fleet 15 offshore patrol vessels (plus numerous helos and 2 planes) should they perhaps all be brought together? perhaps a coastguard subset within the navy?