Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel

HMS Atherstone in Bahrain, 2009
Class overview
Name: Hunt class
Builders: Vosper Thornycroft
Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited
Operators:

 Royal Navy

Built: 1978–1988
In commission: 1979–
Completed: 13
Active: 12
Laid up: 1
General characteristics
Displacement:750 t (740 long tons; 830 short tons)[1]
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:
  • Radar Type 1007 I band
  • Sonar Type 2193
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
  • SeaFox mine disposal system
  • Diver-placed explosive charges
Armament:

The Hunt class is a class of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy. As built, they combined the separate roles of the traditional minesweeper and that of the active minehunter in one hull, but later modifications saw the removal of mine-sweeping equipment. They have a secondary role as offshore patrol vessels.

Development

Upon introduction in the early 1980s they were the largest warships ever built out of glass-reinforced plastic[2] and are the last in operation to use the Napier Deltic diesel engine. All were built by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston except Cottesmore and Middleton, which were built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited on the River Clyde. Quorn was the last ship of the class launched.

The capabilities of the remaining eight vessels of the Hunt class have been significantly enhanced by the installation of Sonar Type 2193 and the NAUTIS 3 command system. The performance of Sonar 2193 exceeds that of any other mine hunting sonar in service in the world today and is capable of detecting and classifying an object the size of a football at a distance of up to 1,000 metres.[3] In late 2007 Chiddingfold used the Seafox drone, the Royal Navy's mine disposal system, during Exercise Neptune Warrior off Scotland. Seafox is described by the MOD as a "state of the art fire and forget system, capable of destroying mines in depths of up to 300 metres".

Ships in the class

Navy Name Pennant number Builder Launched Commissioned Status
Royal Navy Brecon M29 Vosper Thornycroft 1978 1980 Decommissioned, now training ship at HMS Raleigh
Ledbury M30 Vosper Thornycroft 1979 1981 In active service
Cattistock M31 Vosper Thornycroft 1981 1982 In active service
Brocklesby M33 Vosper Thornycroft 1982 1982 In active service
Middleton M34 Yarrow Shipbuilders 1983 1984 In active service
Chiddingfold M37 Vosper Thornycroft 1983 1984 In active service
Atherstone M38 Vosper Thornycroft 1986 1986 In active service
Hurworth M39 Vosper Thornycroft 1984 1985 In active service
Quorn M41 Vosper Thornycroft 1988 1989 In active service
 Hellenic Navy Europa M62 Vosper Thornycroft 1985 1988 / 2001 In active service, former HMS Bicester (M36)
Kallisto M63 Vosper Thornycroft 1986 1986 / 2000 In active service, former HMS Berkeley (M40)
 Lithuanian Naval Force Skalvis M53 Yarrow Shipbuilders 1982 1983 / 2011 In active service, former HMS Cottesmore (M32)
Kuršis M54 Vosper Thornycroft 1982 1983 / 2011 In active service, former HMS Dulverton (M35)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - MCM, globalsecurity.org
  2. ↑ p.542, Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships, US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1996, ISBN 1-55750-132-7
  3. ↑ Thales Group press release on minehunting sonar

External links