Sandown-class
Summary
Origin country | π¬π§ United Kingdom |
Category | Mine |
Subtype | Minehunter |
Manufacturer | Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston |
Year commissioned | 1989 |
Units | Royal Navy: 8 in service.;Royal Saudi Navy: 3 in service.;Estonian Navy: 3 in service.; |
Current operators | πΈπ¦ Saudi Arabia β’ π¬π§ United Kingdom |
Description
The Sandown class minehunters, constructed predominantly by Vosper Thornycroft, are a series of fifteen vessels that have been in service primarily with the Royal Navy since the commissioning of the first ship on June 9, 1989. The ships of this class, which are named after British coastal towns and cities, are also used by the Royal Saudi Navy, the Estonian Navy, and the Ukrainian Navy. Aside from their primary duty of mine hunting, they are employed in a secondary role as offshore patrol vessels.
Originating from a need for dedicated minehunters, the Sandown class vessels are constructed from fiberglass and are designed to focus exclusively on mine hunting rather than sweeping. The Royal Navy initially operated twelve vessels, while three were exported directly to Saudi Arabia. However, changes in strategic defense led to the decommissioning of several ships: Sandown, Inverness, and Bridport between 2004 and 2005, and Cromer was repurposed for training in 2001.
Converting to international operations, Estonia purchased three decommissioned British vessels in 2006, which were upgraded with modern mine disposal equipment including Tactical Control Systems and Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROVs. The sonar technology on these ships was also updated. In Royal Navy service, the class is destined to be replaced by autonomous systems and specialized 'motherships' by 2025, as announced in the 2021 defense white paper.
The Royal Navy's strategic shift impacted other countries as well. In 2021, an agreement was made to transfer two Sandown class ships to the Ukrainian Navy; however, the vessels Ramsey and Blyth were later sold to the Romanian Navy. It was also reported that Shoreham, renamed Cherkasy, and another ship had begun training Ukrainian naval personnel prior to their handover.
These transfers reflect the international footprint of the class, with usage by navies across the globe. The Estonian Navy rechristened their three acquired ships as Admiral Cowan, Sakala, and Ugandi respectively. The Ukrainian Navy, after receiving training and commissioning, added two Sandown class ships to their fleet in 2023. Meanwhile, the Romanian Navy acquired its first Sandown class minehunter in 2023, with plans for a subsequent addition the following year.
Technical specifications
Sandown | |
---|---|
Displacement | 484 tons |
Crew | 40 members |
Width | 10.9 m (35.8 ft) |
Length | 52.5 m (172.2 ft) |
Propulsion | Paxman Valenta 6RP200E diesels |
Armament | 1 Γ DS30B Mk 1 30 mm gun |
Maximum speed | 13 knots |