Mirna-class (Type 171)

Summary

Description

The Mirna-class patrol boats, also known as Type 171, were a fleet of eleven patrol boats constructed for the Yugoslav Navy (JRM) by Tito's Kraljevica Shipyard. These vessels were developed to replace the older Type 131 boats and were incorporated into the JRM Maritime Border Brigade in the early 1980s.

The design of the Mirna-class was focused on fulfilling patrol duties, featuring capabilities that allowed them to effectively monitor maritime borders. The specifics of their armament are not detailed in the provided text, but as patrol boats, they would typically be equipped with small caliber guns and possibly machine guns for defense and law enforcement tasks.

The operational history of the Mirna-class patrol boats was marked by events such as the Croatian War of Independence. During this conflict, two of the Mirna-class boats were damaged and captured by Croatian forces, while another two were seized at the Šibenik Shipyard during the Battle of the Barracks. These four vessels were then commissioned into the Croatian Navy, where they remained in active service at least until 2017.

For the remaining seven vessels, which were relocated to Boka Kotorska, they became assets of the Navy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. These patrol boats were all decommissioned in the early 2000s. Post decommission, two were transferred to the Ministry of Interior but saw minimal service before being scrapped in 2012. The fate of the last five boats involved their sale to civilian entities.

The operating countries for the Mirna-class included the Yugoslav Navy initially, followed by the Croatian Navy and the Navy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the outbreak of independence wars that led to the redistribution of military resources among the successor states.

Technical specifications