HMS Middleton, a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel, has undertaken training in the Persian Gulf, firing her 30mm cannon.
HMS Middleton’s primary role is to protect vital sea lanes and ensure access to sea bases.
The vessel tweeted: “Keeping our skills sharp includes being able to operate at all times, be day or night and ensuring we can operate all of our equipment in all conditions keeps us ready for any occasion and eventuality.“
Keeping our skills sharp includes being able to operate at all times, be day or night⚡️
Ensuring we can operate all of our equipment in all conditions keeps us ready for any occasion and eventuality💪#AlwaysReady #OpKipion pic.twitter.com/MTZQ5AEOL5
— HMS Middleton (@HMSMiddleton) September 10, 2024
There are always a number of Royal Navy’s Mine Counter Measures Vessels operating in the Persian Gulf at any one time, which means HMS Middleton plays a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The vessel uses high-powered sonar, remote underwater vehicles and a crew of divers to deal with sea-bed threats. Her role in providing safety at sea is vital to protecting the UK economy and clearing the way for military operations.
Last year also saw the ship celebrate her 40th year. Most warships have a lifespan of 25-30 years, but thanks to their fibre-glass hulls, minehunters can last much longer – as long as the kit aboard is maintained to the highest standard, refitted, and replaced to move with the times… which it is.
Middleton was the first Hunt-class ship to be fitted with Oceanographic Reconnaissance Combat Architecture (ORCA), allowing the ship to classify underwater contacts from a greater distance than was previously possible. Coupled with her 2193 Sonar, SeaFox Mine Disposal System, and highly-trained mine clearance divers, she remains at the leading edge of mine warfare.
Good training for what is possibly to come.
can’t say I’m bothered about this. a gun being shot off a few times for what was I expect, a bit of a chance to give the gunners a chance to let off a few rounds.
Way back in the 1980/90’s when 10MCM had ‘Ton’s and the original River’s, I often got to fire their WW2 vintage 40mm Bofors as we always had piles of rounds that were about to time expire – so use or lose. Happy days! This article sadly hides the disastrous state of the RN’s MCMV capability at the moment. The Sandown’s have all long gone, nearly two years earlier than planned, whilst there are only 6 Hunt’s left. 9MCM in Bahrain now consists of just two of these whilst the other three operational ships work frantically to keep the Clyde swept and safe,… Read more »
Bangor is still in service but currently in a Floating Dock getting the damage to her hull fixed post bump with Chid. The Hunts where always going up to or just past 2030. Harrier is out here now along with the control cabins etc for remote MCM work. A bigger issue is that Cardigan Bay isn’t here. Her trip to the Med and being used as a floating hotel for US SEABEES building a useless floating pier has seriously messed things up. That said the USN is having issues with its remote MCM systems. Again no the system itself but… Read more »
I thought that Bangor had been decommissioned but see that you are right. However she is still due to return to the UK next year for pay-off and possible sale. The bottom line remains that the forward based ships at UK NSF Bahrain has been reduced this year to just one or two operational Hunt’s (Middleton and the now repaired Chiddingfold) and a frigate (Lancaster) that is very unlikely to be replaced when she returns to the UK mid/late 2025 – also to be paid off but then scrapped. RNHB Harrier is there for trials and is at best a… Read more »
2 Hunts alongside …well they were yesterday. Also a French ELINT ship in again. Lots of “golf Balls” on the upper deck. USN has its MCMs in and and an LCS . The USCG is always about. Not sure what’s happening with Lancaster. Will she be extended here or go back? I know what I would do and it involves our drydock and a Lloyds inspection and would be a win win for the RN. Unfortunately, that’s not for me to decide and it’s a zero input from me until a decision on next year is made in the UK… Read more »
Lancaster is expected to decommission next year. If a survey of her material state permits another couple of years of forward deployment after a few months of local docking and refitting, that would be brilliant. But she’s already 32 years old and is being hard worked, so I’m not hopeful.
Roll on the 5th…🎆
Hopefully there’s some LMM on board to deal with other airbourne or seabourne threats in the Persian Gulf? Maybe future MCM vessels will have a 40mm or 57 mm.
oa flight deck and martlet carrying choppers
Excuse my ignorance but at what point does a gun become a cannon? I thought that a gun fires cartridges/bullets and that a cannon fires shells that explode on impact? So, does the 30mm fitted on Middleton fire projectiles that explode on impact and is this the same 30mm as fitted on the Batch 2 OPVs?
Arbitrary naming conventions.
Yep 30mm HEI and HEIT first is High effect incendiary, second is High effect incendiary tracer once fired in flight the shell is armed on contact with the target it explodes
Cannons have rounds that explode…it gets interesting when 50 Cal can have HEIT !
Generally it starts at 20mm, any automatic weapons smaller than that count as heavy machine guns (M2 Browning, KPV) with the exception of the MG 151 from WW2. The reasoning that cannons fire exploding shells generally holds true, rounds smaller than 20mm hold so little explosives that it’s usually not worthwhile. You could also argue that if it can be fired from the shoulder it’s not a cannon, but it’s ultimately arbitrary.
Good too see an Aimer and the barrel remaining locked in for the shoot
ohhh…controversial!
TTKK
😏😏