LÉ Aoife (P22) Informations

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.

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 Maltas largest naval vessel.

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 (decommissioned in 2016), 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 Bransons Virgin Challenger II was attempting to break the transatlantic speed record set by United States in 1952.[note 1]Challenger left New York Harbour on 26 June 1986 and refueled, as prearranged, at an oil rig on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. However, four tons of water also entered her tanks and soon, Challenger needed more fuel filters.[note 2] Bransons London control centre requested help from the RAF but the Royal Navy did not have a ship in the area. Aoife, 160 miles distant, was informed and an RAF Nimrod dropped a canister of filters to Challenger. Aoife reached Challenger at 00:43 on 29 June. Her crew refueled Challenger, which went on to complete the voyage, taking two hours and nine minutes off 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 ships 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 childrens ward of the University Hospital Waterford.

LÉ Aoife was decommissioned in Waterford on 31 January 2015 and later donated to Malta.

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.

On 24 May 2019, P62 was involved in the recovery of a WWII aircraft engine off the Grand Harbour. The engine, most probably that of a Short Sunderland flying boat, was retrieved after a 14 hour operation.

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