Name LÉ Aoife Commissioned 29 November 1979 Construction started 3 July 1978 Length 65 m | Laid down 3 July 1978 Decommissioned 31 January 2015 Draft 4.4 m Launched 12 April 1979 | |
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Namesake Aoife, step-mother to the children of Lir | ||
LÉ Aoife (P22) of the Irish Naval Service, now known as P62 of the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta, was built as an offshore patrol vessel in 1978.
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Serving the Irish Naval Service since 1979, Aoife was decommissioned by Ireland in 2015, and donated to the Armed Forces of Malta. It was commissioned as the patrol boat P62 on 28 June 2015, and is currently Malta's largest naval vessel.
Irish service
Aoife was first commissioned when European Union (then EEC) funding became available in response to the extension of the Irish Exclusive Fisheries Zone from 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) to 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) in 1976.
Together with sister ships LÉ Deirdre (decommissioned in 2001), LÉ Emer (decommissioned in 2013) and LÉ Aisling (in active service), Aoife was built at Verolme Cork Dockyard.
Originally named after Aoife, step-mother to the children of Lir, Aoife operated primarily as a fisheries protection vessel. Aoife also assisted however in emergency rescue operations and other naval support roles.
In 1986 Richard Branson's Virgin Challenger II was attempting to win the Blue Riband by making the fastest Atlantic crossing. Challenger left New York Harbour on 26 June 1986. She refueled, as prearranged, at an oil rig on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. However, four tons of water also entered her tanks. Soon, Challenger needed more fuel filters. Branson's London control center requested help from the RAF. The Royal Navy did not have a ship in the area. Aoife, 160 miles distant, was informed. An RAF Nimrod dropped a canister of filters to Challenger. At 00:43 29 June, Aoife reached Virgin Challenger II. Aoife's crew refueled Challenger which then proceeded to complete the voyage in a time of two hours and nine minutes shorter than the previous record. Branson invited representatives of the ships company to the celebrations in London, saying "We could not have succeeded without their help".
In October 2004, Aoife assisted in the rescue of the Canadian Forces submarine Chicoutimi off the north-western coast of Ireland.
In July 2007, Aoife assisted in the rescue of over 100 children taking part in a sailing regatta off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
Despite the ship's home port being Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour, it had a close relationship with the city of Waterford and its crew were involved in fund-raising for the children's ward of Waterford Regional Hospital.
LÉ Aoife was decommissioned in Waterford on 31 January 2015 and later donated to Malta.
Maltese service
Aoife was commissioned into the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta on 28 June 2015, and given the pennant number P62. It is the largest vessel in the Maritime Squadron, being larger than the flagship, the Diciotti-class offshore patrol boat P61. It arrived in Malta in November 2015, intended initially for use in humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean.