HS ESPEROS (P-64)

Crest

In Greek mythology, Hesperus was the personification of the bright evening star “vesper”, the Evening Star. Hesperus was the first to climb Mount Atlas to observe the stars. However, he was seized by a storm, disappearing without a trace, and thus was transformed into a star.
The name “Esperos” has previously been assigned by Hellenic Navy to a Jaguar-type torpedo boat (former P-6068 Seeadler), of German construction (1957), which upon her assignment to Fleet Headquarters on March 24, 1977, was named HS ESPEROS II (P-50). This vessel served under the Fast Boat Command from February 1, 1977, until her decommissioning on February 1, 2004.
Additionally, at the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in 1940, the passenger ship “Esperos” was requisitioned by Hellenic Navy and converted into a hospital ship for transporting wounded soldiers from the Albanian front to the mainland. She subsequently carried out routes mainly to the ports of Western Greece, transporting thousands of wounded soldiers under extremely difficult conditions. During heavy Luftwaffe air raids, the ship was sunk by German “Stuka” dive bombers on April 21, 1941, while anchored off Messolonghi.

Technical Characteristics

Διαστάσεις

24,74 /5.4 meters

Εκτόπισμα

42.5 tons

Πλήρωμα

Officers: 2
Non-Commissioned Officers: 5

Ταχύτητα

45+ knots

Πρόωση

2 main Diesel engines MTU 12V – 2000 RPM (2285 HP each)
2 KAMEWA 50S waterjet systems

Οπλισμός

4 M2 BROWNING machine guns (TAK) 0.50 caliber
Portable weapons of various calibers

History

HS ESPEROS (Special Operations Craft – Fast Transport) was built in 1995 in the USA on behalf of the United States Navy under the codename “MK-V SOC (Special Operations Craft) 9602”, with her primary mission being the transport/extraction of U.S. Navy SEAL unconventional warfare teams. The vessel remained in storage at a Special Operations Craft facility in the United States, specifically at the Naval Air Station North Island (within the Defence Logistics Agency – DLA facilities).

In November 2016, a naval delegation inspected decommissioned U.S. Navy vessels, positively evaluating a potential acquisition. In March 2018, the procurement of four MK-V SOC vessels was decided. In March 2020, these vessels were delivered to Salamis Naval Base, where maintenance and repair work began in order to make the vessel operational for assignment to Fleet Headquarters.

On June 4, 2021, the Ministry of National Defence signed the decision to incorporate the vessel into Hellenic Navy, and the flag was officially raised on July 1, 2025. She was assigned to Fleet Headquarters under the Special Forces Command, with the primary mission of conducting special operations.

Gallery

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