[2] The Archer class were built as Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) training vessels, but after limited use they were transferred to URNU service.

[3][4] Between 1989 and 1991, just before Archer's handover to the URNU, she was commanded by (then) Lieutenant Tim Fraser, who subsequently achieved the rank of Admiral, and is the former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Archer's programme is generally divided into two durations of training – a weekend or the longer deployments that take place during the university Easter and summer holidays.

Deployments in the Easter and summer holidays venture further afield, Archer has visited ports from the Western Isles and east coast of Britain to the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the Baltic.

In the summer of 2012, the ship was moved to Rosyth Dockyard to serve with URNU East Scotland and to increase the presence of the RN in Edinburgh.