LÉ Emer (P21)

LÉ Emer (P21) of the Irish Naval Service, now known as NNS Prosperity of the Nigerian Navy, was built as a patrol vessel in Verolme Dockyard, Cork, Ireland in 1977.[1]

Emer at Haulbowline in October 2007
History
Ireland
Name	LÉ Emer
Namesake	Emer, the principal wife of Cúchulainn
Builder	Verolme Dockyard, Cork
Yard number	29
Laid down	28 February 1977
Launched	26 September 1977
Commissioned	16 January 1978
Decommissioned	20 September 2013
Homeport	Haulbowline Naval Base
Identification	IMO number: 7602297 Hull number: P21
Fate	Discarded 2013
Nigeria
Name	NNS Prosperity
Acquired	Seized 2014
Commissioned	19 February 2015
Identification	IMO number: 7602297 MMSI number: 657102900 Hull number: A497
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Emer-class offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	1,019.5 tonnes Standard
Length	65.2 m (214 ft) overall
Beam	10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught	4.4 m (14 ft)
Speed	31.5 km/h (17.0 kn) maximum
Complement	46 (5 officers and 41 ratings )
Armament	1 × Bofors L40/70 2 × Rheinemetall RH202 20 mm cannons MAG58 7.62 mm

After evaluating Deirdre for 3 years, Emer was ordered by the Irish Naval Service in 1975. Commissioned in January 1978, she was named after Emer, the principal wife of Cúchulainn, a legendary Irish folk hero.[2]

She was an improved version of the sole of class Deirdre and similar to LÉ Aoife (P22) and LÉ Aisling (P23). She was commissioned on 16 January 1978 and had 35 years of service with the Irish Naval Service.[2]

Decommissioned on 20 September 2013,[3] in October 2013 Emer was sold at auction for €320,000 to a Nigerian businessman.[4]

In July 2014 Emer was impounded by the Nigerian Navy because the new owner had failed to secure the necessary military approval before bringing the ship into Nigerian waters.[5] On 19 February 2015 Emer was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy as a training ship and renamed NNS Prosperity.[6][7]