Sandown-class minehunter

The Sandown class is a class of fifteen minehunters built primarily for the Royal Navy by Vosper Thornycroft. The Sandown class also serve with the Royal Saudi Navy, the Estonian Navy, and the Ukrainian Navy. The first vessel was commissioned into Royal Navy service on 9 June 1989 and all the British ships were named after coastal towns and cities. Although the class had a primary mine countermeasures role, they have had a secondary role as offshore patrol vessels. As of early 2024, only one vessel of the class (HMS Bangor) remains in active service with the Royal Navy.

HMS Ramsey at HMNB Clyde, 2011
Class overview
Name	Sandown class
Builders	Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston
Operators	Royal Navy  Estonian Navy  Royal Saudi Navy  Ukrainian Navy  Romanian Naval Forces
Preceded by	Ton-class minesweeper
Succeeded by	Future command and support vessels for autonomous systems, Autonomous minehunting systems
In service	1989
Completed	15
Active	11+ (1 Royal Navy, 3 each Estonian and Royal Saudi Navies; 2 transferred to Ukraine and 2+ being transferred to Romania)
Laid up	1 (Royal Navy static training vessel)
General characteristics
Type	Minehunter
Displacement	600 t (590 long tons; 660 short tons)[1]
Length	52.5 m (172 ft 3 in)
Beam	10.9 m (35 ft 9 in)
Draught	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	Paxman Valenta 6RP200E diesels 1,523 shp (1,136 kW) Diesel-electric drive Combimac electric motors 100kW Voith Schneider Propellers Schottel bow thrusters
Speed	13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement	34 (accommodation for up to 40)
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 1007 I-Band/Kelvin Hughes Ltd SharpEye navigation radar[2] Sonar Type 2093
Armament	1 × DS30B Mk 1 30 mm gun[3] 3 × Miniguns (replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023)[4] 2 × General purpose machine guns

Development

These small (53 m; 174 ft) fibreglass vessels are single role mine hunters (SRMH) rather than minesweepers. Twelve ships were built for the Royal Navy and three ships were exported to Saudi Arabia. Three Royal Navy vessels were decommissioned following the Strategic Defence Review in 2003; Sandown (January 2005), Inverness (April 2005) and Bridport (July 2004). A further ship, Cromer, was decommissioned and transferred to a training role at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 2001 as Hindostan.

The three decommissioned vessels were sold to Estonia in September 2006. They were re-equipped with TCS (Tactical Control System) and the Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV for mine disposal. The sonar system was also updated. The first ship (ex-Sandown), delivered in 2007, has been named Admiral Cowan,^[5] the second (ex-Inverness), was delivered in 2008 and named Sakala and the last (ex-Bridport) named Ugandi in 2009.

Future

The 2021 defence white paper announced that all mine countermeasures vessels in the Royal Navy would be retired during the 2020s and replaced by automated systems. It was indicated that the remaining Sandown-class ships would be retired first^[6] with the entire class to be withdrawn from service by 2025.^[7] They will be replaced with autonomous minehunting systems and specialized "motherships" deployed either by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) or new-build ships as reportedly preferred by the navy.^[8] While experiencing some delays, the first command and support vessel for trialling autonomous systems (RFA Stirling Castle) entered service with the RFA in Spring 2024.^[9][10][11]

In June 2021, during a visit by HMS Defender to Odesa, it was revealed that an agreement had been reached for two Sandown class ships to be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy upon decommissioning.^[12] Ramsey and Blyth were decommissioned on 4 August 2021 and following a refit by Babcock, were to be transferred to the Romanian Navy instead.^[13][14] In September 2023 it was reported that the transfer of Blyth had occurred and that HMS Pembroke would also be transferred to the Romanian Navy in the following year.^[15]

In September 2022, HMS Shoreham was spotted operating around Firth of Forth carrying the name Cherkasy (Ukrainian: Черкаси) and the pennant number M311. Though still reportedly in commission with the Royal Navy, she was now training sailors of the Ukrainian Navy prior to also being handed over to that Navy.^[16] In October 2022 it was reported that Shoreham had been decommissioned from Royal Navy service.^[17] She, and her sister ship ex-HMS Grimsby (now Chernihiv), were formally commissioned into the Ukrainian Navy in July 2023.^[18]

Ships in the class

Map with nations whose navies use the Sandown-class minehunter in blue

Navy	Name	Pennant number	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Status
Royal Navy	Hindostan (ex-Cromer)	M103	Vosper Thornycroft	1990	1992	Cromer decommissioned in 2001; now static training ship at Britannia Royal Naval College
	Walney	M104	Vosper Thornycroft	1991	1992	Decommissioned; awaiting disposal
	Penzance	M106	Vosper Thornycroft	1997	1998	Decommissioned[19][20]
	Pembroke	M107	Vosper Thornycroft	1997	1998	Decommissioned; to be transferred to Romania[21][22][23]
	Bangor	M109	Vosper Thornycroft	1999	2000	In active service
	Ramsey	M110	Vosper Thornycroft	1999	2000	Decommissioned; awaiting transfer to Romanian Navy[13]
Royal Saudi Navy	Al Jawf	420	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
	Shaqra	422	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
	Al Kharj	424	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
Estonian Navy	Admiral Cowan (ex-Sandown)	M313	Vosper Thornycroft	1988	1989 / 2007	In active service
	Sakala (ex-Inverness)	M314	Vosper Thornycroft	1990	1991 / 2008	In active service
	Ugandi (ex-Bridport)	M315	Vosper Thornycroft	1992	1993 / 2009	In active service
Romanian Naval Forces	Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu (ex-Blyth)	M270	Vosper Thornycroft	2000	2001 / 2023	In active service[24]
Ukrainian Navy	Chernihiv (ex Grimsby)	M310	Vosper Thornycroft	1998	1999/2023	Decommissioned from RN in 2022; transferred to Ukraine in 2023[18]
	Cherkasy (ex Shoreham)	M311	Vosper Thornycroft	2001	2001/2023	Decommissioned from RN in 2022; transferred to Ukraine in 2023[18]

See also

• Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel

References

1. "Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
2. Ministry of Defence (28 January 2016). "New navigation radar system for Royal Navy". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
3. "The all-rounder – the 30mm Automated Small Calibre Gun in focus". Navy Lookout. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
4. "In focus: the 50 cal heavy machine gun in Royal Navy service". Navy Lookout. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
5. "Queen Elizabeth II to Hand Ship's Badge to Estonian Navy" (PDF). Estonian Review. 16 (39): 6. 4 October 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
6. "Unmanned Systems Set to Replace All Royal Navy Mine Warfare Vessels". maritime-executive.com. 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
7. Allison, George (6 September 2021). "Minesweepers out of service dates revealed". UK Defence Journal.
8. "The Royal Navy wants three new-build mine hunting motherships". Navy Lookout. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
9. "The Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2023". Navy Lookout. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
10. "Why has the Royal Navy decommissioned 6 ships in a year?". Navy Lookout. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
11. "Mothership to support autonomous mine hunting systems arrives in the UK". Navy Lookout. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
12. Allison, George (22 June 2021). "UK giving two Sandown class mine hunters to Ukraine". UK Defence Journal.
13. @NavyLookout (20 October 2022). "Ex-HMS Ramsey and HMS Blyth have been sold to the Romanian Navy" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 October 2022 – via Twitter.
14. "Thank you Blyth and Ramsey for your service as minehunters pay off". Royal Navy. 4 August 2021. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
15. @NavyLookout (28 September 2023). "@NavyLookout ex-HMS Blyth has been transferred to 🇷🇴Romania with, yet to decommission, @hms_pembroke to follow next year" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 September 2023 – via Twitter.
16. "The Sandown-class minehunters for the Ukrainian Navy received their names". MINITAPHUM. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
17. @NavyLookout (20 October 2022). "Ex-HMS Ramsey and HMS Blyth have been sold to the Romanian Navy" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 October 2022 – via Twitter.
18. Grotnik, Tomasz (13 July 2023). "Ukraine Commissioned Two MCM Vessels". Naval News. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
19. @NavyLookout (20 January 2024). "@NavyLookout HMS Bangor is the last Sandown class MCMV left in RN service. Images recently released of HMS Penzance decommissioning ceremony held before she left Faslane for the final time on 9th January" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 January 2024 – via Twitter.
20. @NavyLookout (14 January 2024). "@NavyLookout .@HMSPenzance sailed from Leith yesterday and entered Rosyth flying her paying off pennant" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 January 2023 – via Twitter.
21. @NavyLookout (28 September 2023). "@NavyLookout ex-HMS Blyth has been transferred to 🇷🇴Romania with, yet to decommission, @hms_pembroke to follow next year" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 September 2023 – via Twitter.
22. "Romania acquires 2 former Royal Navy's Sandown class minehunters". Navy Recognition. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
23. @NavyLookout (20 January 2024). "@NavyLookout HMS Bangor is the last Sandown class MCMV left in RN service. Images recently released of HMS Penzance decommissioning ceremony held before she left Faslane for the final time on 9th January" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 January 2024 – via Twitter.
24. Victor Cozmei (2 October 2023). "România a preluat primul vânător de mine din clasa Sandown de la Marea Britanie. Ce nume a primit cea mai recentă navă din dotarea Forțelor Navale". HotNews (in Romanian).

Bibliography

• Beaver, Paul (1996). Britain's Modern Royal Navy. Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-442-5.

External links

• "Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Sandown Class". Royal Navy.