Interest confirmed in former Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Atherstone
Tied up in an unseen corner of Portsmouth Naval Base, the former UK RN mine countermeasure vessel HMS Atherstone is nearing its end, stripped for parts and machinery to maintain the diminishing Hunt class fleet.
Listed for sale by the UK’s Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) in Q2 of this year, HMS Atherstone was decommissioned in 2017 along with another of its sister ships, HMS Quorn, after 30 years of service.
The latter vessel has since been sold to Lithuania, netting a tidy sum and avoiding the £750,000 ($1 million) cost to dispose of the vessel.
Devoid of machinery, the former HMS Atherstone is described as being sound for towing but no longer in running condition.
A DESA spokesperson confirmed that the authority had received expressions of interest for the vessel, the deadline
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How will the Canadian Coast Guard’s transfer to the DND umbrella affect its capabilities?]()
How will the Canadian Coast Guard’s transfer to the DND umbrella affect its capabilities?
By joining the defence department, the coast guard will need to acquire new solutions and adapt its in-service capabilities to ensure interoperability with the Canadian Armed Forces.
-
![UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration]()
UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration
The Type 26 will also be fitted with the Sea Ceptor vertically launched air defence system that can fire CAMM missiles and a 24-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system that can fire the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine rockets and long-range anti-ship missiles.
-
![Second Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship is on schedule to be launched mid-2026]()
Second Royal Canadian Navy Joint Support Ship is on schedule to be launched mid-2026
While the first Joint Support Ship is currently in the final stages of outfitting, the second one is on schedule for launching next year.
-
![Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?]()
Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?
South Korean shipbuilders are beginning to make their mark beyond Asia, competing for major North American and European submarine programmes and becoming serious contenders on a global scale.
-
![AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official]()
AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official
Few concrete ideas have emerged so far on which “advanced capabilities” will be brought forward under Pillar 2 of the AUKUS partnership, but the Pentagon’s review of the programme could bring more clarity.
-
![Sweden’s decision on four new warships inches closer as it eyes UK, France and Spain]()
Sweden’s decision on four new warships inches closer as it eyes UK, France and Spain
Sweden decided last year that it wanted a significantly larger warship for its Luleå Class programme than originally planned, with three likely contenders that could potentially deliver within the country’s tight schedule.
