RN decommissions minehunters ahead of transfer to Ukraine
HMS Blyth during its decommissioning ceremony. (Photo: MoD/ Crown Copyright.)
The UK RN has paid off two Sandown-class minehunters, paving the way for their transfer to Ukrainian service.
The RN has decommissioned two Sandown-class mine countermeasures vessels, HMS Blyth and HMS Ramsey, after 51 years of combined service.
Both vessels have seen extensive deployments and were the first to be sent to Bahrain when the UK Government saw a requirement for a permanent minehunter presence in the Gulf.
Following dockyard works, the ships will be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy, serving on the Black Sea.
In June, the UK, Babcock and Ukraine signed a tripartite Memorandum of Implementation (MoI) in Odessa, providing the latter with two minehunters and eight new Babcock-developed missile boats.
The MoI also opened the door for the potential sale of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 frigate design to Ukraine –alluding to it when referring to plans to deliver a ‘modern frigate capability’.
In UK service, the two ships are being replaced through Project Wilton, which aims to introduce an autonomous minehunting capability. Three autonomous boats are already in service at Faslane, Scotland.
Following leave, Blyth’s crew will take charge of another Sandown-class minehunter, HMS Grimsby, later this year.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Sandown Class Minehunters [Ukraine]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements]()
Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements
Israel’s navy is preparing for a larger and more technically diverse role, but its ambitions could be impacted by supply chain restrictions, accelerating demand for domestic naval production as well as autonomous maritime capabilities.
-
![Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage]()
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.
-
![Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement]()
Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement
The Indian Navy's P17B programme is expected to combine greater weapons capacity with a competitive domestic construction model, although key systems could remain dependent on international supply chains.
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV]()
Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV
Quantum Systems has launched into the maritime domain with Seavex and Subvex, aiming to close a Baltic Sea ISR gap opened by infrastructure sabotage.
