The Royal Navy’s specialist mine-hunting mothership HMS Stirling Castle has completed a delivery of vessels and equipment to Gibraltar as preparations continue for a possible operation to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The ship sailed from her home port of Portsmouth carrying four specialist mine-hunting vessels, three rigid-hulled inflatable boats and more than 20 containers of equipment, along with further freight of varying size and complexity. Stirling Castle handed the cargo over to RFA Lyme Bay, the Bay-class auxiliary identified by the Royal Navy as the mothership for any future Middle East mine countermeasures effort.
The transfer was carried out in Gibraltar, where Lyme Bay had been undergoing maintenance and taking on equipment ahead of a potential deployment to the Gulf.
Stirling Castle normally operates in UK waters as a floating base for autonomous mine-hunting systems, but her large mission deck and 100-tonne crane suited her to moving and lifting the specialist load. According to the Royal Navy, the work was carried out over long days in high temperatures in both the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and required sustained effort from the ship’s company and embarked personnel.
Commanding Officer Commander Philip Harper said the task fell outside the ship’s usual remit but demonstrated her adaptability. “Stirling Castle has been delighted to deliver cargo to RFA Lyme Bay in Gibraltar,” he said. “It isn’t our normal role, but it has highlighted the flexibility of my ship, which is new to the Royal Navy.” He added that the crew had benefited from the short-notice tasking and had completed the onload and offload within demanding timelines.
During her visit, Stirling Castle also became formally affiliated with Gibraltar. Leaders of the British Overseas Territory and the ship signed a Memorandum of Understanding at a ceremony aboard the vessel in Gibraltar Naval Base, attended by more than 50 guests including Governor General Sir Ben Bathurst, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo MP and Commander British Forces Gibraltar, Commodore Tom Guy. The arrangement adds to the ship’s existing ties with the Scottish city of Stirling.
It will be really interesting to see how Lyme Bay operates in this role once given the chance. She certainly seems vastly superior to Hunts and Sandowns who would have needed a Bay class near by to do the mission anyway.
I wonder if she will be carrying any Wildcats for protection against drones and small boats. Phalanx onboard will also be very important compared to anything a normal minesweeper could do.
She Isn’t going anywhere near the place until all hostilities have ended.
Apparently Hostilities will end 3 times tomorrow, 4 times on Tuesday and twice weekly until sometime in the 2030’s . They were going to end two days after Trump rained hellfire and fury but he didn’t like their deal.
Cannot tell by the photo if Stirling has grey paint scheme yet, I don’t think so.
Not yet unfortunately. She is reportedly the first RN vessel to be directly affiliated with Gibraltar (in the same way that other warships have cities).
“Castle Rock” then. 😎
Thanks.
Surprising, given Gibs historic connections to the Royal Navy.
Hang on a cotton picking moment….
So this dedicated Mine countermeasures ship, bought to carry out this specialist job, offloads all her kit to a Grandmother ship that wasn’t ?
The Future of MCM seems rather cloudy.
Maybe we could just send POW Instead ?
Oh hang on, She’s Broked down agin !
Confused from Cambridge… AKA #B.O.
I understand that Stirling Castle was only for home waters and trials.
Abroad is the 3 MHC motherships, if the DIP still includes them.
If not, we’re stuffed.
Wasn’t it thought that the 3 dedicated mcmv motherships would be Kongsberg ‘Vanguard’ or similar – combine with an order for River 1 replacements. I do wonder whether the DIP hasn’t been held up by not knowing when or whether Norway will order Merlin for its ASW, although I thought that was a done deal – part of the T26 package. Also read in the DT this morning that CGAP funding will be pushed back so expect Tempest in 2040 not 2035. Govt struggling to make do with £18b 4 yr package instead of the £28b in the SDR. Personally I think a Babcock order for 3 more T31 and extended / replaced / additional Bays would be a smarter way to go. Roll on the DIP….
Maybe we should sell Scotland.
Yes, read all that. I wonder how many have realised with GCAP is costing 12 billion to even develop, never mind actually buy any jets?
Defence is literally fighting for survival, yearly.
You’ll buy a lot of other kit with that.
HMG will not fund enough, we’ve covered this already, it’s all words and all spin. They have their own priorities.
Well I Guess It wouldn’t matter which waters she was working in if she had to hand over to a Bay Class.
Hey ho, I’m sure It’s all part of the plan.
A plan?
Defence seems, in many cases, to improvise when ordered by HMG to deploy due to lack of assets by taking from elsewhere. Not ideal, but I’m sure they’ll grandstand anyway.