HMS Ledbury (M30)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Ledbury.
HMS Ledbury in Portsmouth 2007
Career (UK)
Name: HMS Ledbury
Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: 31 March 1977[1]
Builder: Vosper Thornycroft
Launched: December 1979
Sponsored by: Lady Elizabeth Berthan[2]
Commissioned: 11 June 1981
Homeport: Portsmouth
Identification: Pennant number: M30
Honours and
awards:
Status: in active service, as of 2015
General characteristics
Class and type:Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel
Displacement:750 t (740 long tons; 830 short tons)[3]
Length:60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Beam:9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Draught:2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement:45 (6 officers & 39 ratings)
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
  • SeaFox mine disposal system
  • Diver-placed explosive charges
Armament:

HMS Ledbury, the third ship of the name, is a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy. She was launched on December 1979 and commissioned on 11 June 1981, the second ship of her class. She cost £65 million at time of building, which was at the time the most expensive cost-per-metre for any class of ship built by the Royal Navy.[2] Most of this cost went into the research and development of Ledbury's glass reinforced plastic hull.[4]

She is attached to the Second Mine Countermeasures Squadron, based in Portsmouth. Ledbury underwent a docking maintenance period, commencing in June 2009, to fit the new Seafox mine disposal equipment. This new equipment (replacing the French built PAP RCMDS) is a significant improvement in both mine detection and disposal technology.

References

  1. ↑ Hansard Hand Written Answers, theyworkforyou.com, 1981
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 HMS Ledbury (archive), royalnavy.mod.uk
  3. ↑ Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - MCM, globalsecurity.org
  4. ↑ HMS Ledbury Introduction (archive), royalnavy.mod.uk

External links