HMS Smiter (P272)

300px HMS Smiter on the River Clyde flanked by two Rigid Raiders from the Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines.
Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Smiter
Operator:	Royal Navy
Builder:	Watercraft Marine
Laid down:	1985
Launched:	1985
Completed:	22 January 1986
Commissioned:	4 September 1986
Homeport:	HMNB Clyde
Status:	in active service, as of 2024
Badge:	100px
General characteristics
Class and type:	Archer class patrol vessel
Displacement:	49 tons
Length:	20.8 m (68 ft 3 in)
Beam:	5.8 m (19 ft)
Draught:	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:	2 shafts, Rolls Royce M800T diesels, 1,590 bhp
Speed:	18 knots
Range:	550 nmi (1,020 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement:	5 (RN), 1 training officer (RNR), 12 students (URNU) or 12 (RN)
Sensors and processing systems:	Decca 1216 navigation radar
Armament:	3 × 7.62 mm L7 GPMG (Cyprus Sqn.) (can be fitted with 20 mm cannon on fo'c'sle)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Smiter.

HMS Smiter is an Archer-class patrol and training vessel of the British Royal Navy.

On being accepted into service, she initially served with the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Reserve until 11 October 1990. She then transferred to the University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) of Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities. She replaced HMS Attacker in this role, which had been called into service to the Royal Navy Cyprus Squadron during the Gulf War.

The Glasgow University Royal Naval Unit is one of 14 URNUs supporting the countries' leading Universities in England, Wales and Scotland. The organisation's Mission is to "educate a wide spectrum of high calibre undergraduates who show potential as society's future leaders and opinion formers in order to better inform them of the need for and role of the Royal Navy, and to develop awareness of career opportunities in the Service."

Students from the URNU get the chance to deploy on sea weekends or sea days aboard the ship, where they learn how to handle and navigate the vessel under the instruction of the permanent RN crew of five. The ship also goes on twice yearly deployments, at Easter and in the summer. University Students in the Greater Glasgow area also have the option of joining either the Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps or the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron. The ship is based at HMS Neptune, HMNB Clyde during the week.

External links

• HMS Smiter page at Royal Navy website
• URNU homepage Royal Navy Website

The motto of HMS Smiter is 'strike hard and often'.