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List of Border Force cutters (UK)

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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:

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.

Currently the Border Force has a fleet of five ocean-going Cutters and six smaller 'Coastal Patrol Vessels' (CPVs).[4] All eleven vessels are due to be replaced, however a schedule for their replacement has not (as of March 2023) been announced.[5] In 2022 it was reported that additional boats and crews had been chartered (for up to six months at a time) from companies linked to the offshore wind industry.[6]

Pre-Second World War

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The former Revenue Cutter Vigilant (1902) in 2008, awaiting restoration on Faversham Creek

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[7]
  • 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

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V-class

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  • Venturous (1962-1980) built to Customs specifications
  • Vigilant (1965-1980)
  • Valiant (1968-1979)

Tracker-class

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  • 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

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  • HMCC Searcher (1979-2001)[8]
  • HMCC Seeker (1980-2001)

Protector-class

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HMCC Valiant in Ocean Village, Southampton
  • HMCC Valiant (1988–2003)
  • HMCC Vigilant (1989–2003)
  • HMCC Venturous (1989–2003)
  • HMCC Vincent (1993–2004)

Island-class

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UKBF 42m Customs Cutter

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Main article: UKBF 42m Customs Cutter

Telkkä-class

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Coastal patrol vessels

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Note: These smaller vessels are not listed as Cutters by UK Border Force.[4]

25m Catamaran

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Note: These chartered vessels are not listed as Cutters by UK Border Force.[6]

  • Hurricane (built 2016, previous offshore wind support vessel, transferred to Border Force in 2021)[17]
  • Typhoon (built 2016, previous offshore wind support vessel, transferred to Border Force in 2021)[18]
  • Ranger (built 2014, previous offshore wind support vessel, transferred to Border Force in 2021)[19]
  • Defender (built 2013, previous offshore wind support vessel, transferred to Border Force in 2021)[20]
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  • HMC Seeker
    HMC Seeker
  • HMC Vigilant
    HMC Vigilant
  • HMC Valiant
    HMC Valiant
  • HMC Protector
    HMC Protector
  • HMC Nimrod
    HMC Nimrod

References

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  1. ^ Cutters List of Revenue Cutters
  2. ^ a b Smith, Graham (1980). Something to Declare: 1000 Years of Customs and Excise. London: Harrap.
  3. ^ a b c Smith, Graham (1983). King's Cutters: The Revenue Service and the War against Smuggling. London: Conway Maritime Press.
  4. ^ a b "Fact Sheet: Small Boats". Home Office Media. UK Government. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. ^ "UK Border Force: Patrol Craft". Parallel Parliament. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b Davies, Rob (29 August 2022). "Home Office pays firms £2.5m to pick up people trying to cross Channel". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  7. ^ "The Restoration of Vigilant". Medway Maritime Trust. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  8. ^ Photo, 1998
  9. ^ HMC Protector: Customs patrol boat launched, bbc.com, 17 March 2014 - "It will be located in Portsmouth and will operate around the UK coastline."
  10. ^ "Home Secretary launches new Border Force cutter to protect UK coastline". gov.uk. HM Government. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Patrol boat deployed in English Channel as Calais 'Jungle' prepares to be demolished". 15 March 2017.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ a b "Planned Maintenance and Annual Recertification of UKBF Coastal Patrol Vessels Hunter and Speedwell [Award]".
  14. ^ Johnson, Jamie; Hymas, Charles (21 January 2019). "Border Force ships ordered to patrol the Channel for migrants are still in the Mediterranean". The Telegraph.
  15. ^ "The world news platform".
  16. ^ "Migrants rescued as crisis continues". 21 January 2019.
  17. ^ Taylor, Charlie (2021). "Detention facilities: Tug Haven, Kent Intake Unit and Frontier House" (PDF). HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2023.
  18. ^ "UK deploys windfarm service vessels in response to Channel migration crisis". 17 August 2022.
  19. ^ "UK deploys windfarm service vessels in response to Channel migration crisis". 17 August 2022.
  20. ^ "UK deploys windfarm service vessels in response to Channel migration crisis". 17 August 2022.
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