HMS Gay Archer (1041) was the first of the Gay class, a fleet of twelve vessels built in 1952 by Vosper's of Portchester for the Royal Navy to strengthen Britain's coastal defences. Designed from a World War II hull specification but modernised with 1950s technology, Gay Archer and her sister ships were constructed of double diagonal mahogany and were among the last naval boats to operate with petrol engines, powered by three Packard marine engines delivering a speed of forty knots. These Fast Patrol Boats (FPBs) were highly adaptable, designed to serve as either gunboats or torpedo boats with a complement of thirteen crew. In torpedo mode, they carried two 21-inch torpedo tubes with twin Oerlikons mounted aft and a Bofors gun forward, while in gunboat mode, a 4.5-inch gun was fitted forward with a Bofors aft. Operating out of HMS Hornet in Gosport, the vessel supported defences in the North Sea approaches and occasionally deployed to Malta to protect British interests around the Suez. Originally intended to escort HMY Britannia during the Queen's coronation celebrations, Gay Archer sustained fire damage in Aarhus Harbour in May 1953 and later narrowly avoided sinking off Southsea Pier. Decommissioned in 1957 and repurposed as a houseboat in 1958 by Frank Lunt, she underwent extensive modifications, losing much of her naval identity before being acquired by new owners in 2004. Following a meticulous restoration completed in 2006, Gay Archer remains the sole surviving Gay class boat, preserved in Watchet Harbour, Somerset, United Kingdom.

HMS Gay Archer was introduced during Update "Sons of Attila" as the first vehicle reward in the Battle Pass: Season XIII, "Tropical Storm". She shares many design features with the Dark Aggressor, with her primary armament being an excellent 40 mm QF Mark VII), supplemented by two torpedoes. The vessel is powered by three very powerful engines, allowing her to reach 104 km/h in AB or 74 km/h in RB—an excellent speed that enables her to choose engagements and reach favourable positions ahead of the competition. However, she suffers from limited survivability, especially when her sides are exposed.