HMS Chiddingfold (M37)
HMS Chiddingfold is a of Britain's Royal Navy. She was launched in October 1983 by her sponsor, Lady Anne Kennon, and formally entered the service of the Royal Navy in October 1984. Chiddingfold is a minehunter, and her purpose is to find and destroy mines, not only in a time of war but also in peacetime. There are about a quarter of a million mines still active from the Second World War alone and they pose a major threat to both military and civilian ships. Chiddingfold is able to enter some types of minefields without magnetic mines detonating because she is made of glass-reinforced plastic, and all fixtures within the ship are made of non-ferrous metals, keeping the ship's magnetic signature to the bare minimum.
Operational history
In January 2012, Chiddingfold began a year-long mid-life upgrade project, including the replacement of her engines, gearboxes, propellers and an upgraded thruster system; she was the first vessel of her class to undergo the refurbishment.In June 2014, Chiddingfold sailed in company with for a three-year deployment in the Persian Gulf. She returned to the UK in 2017 after being relieved by sister.
The long-term deployment to the Persian Gulf was renewed again in mid-2020 when Chiddingfold returned to the region, again in company with Penzance, to operate as part of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron from in Bahrain. In this role, crews for Chiddingfold rotate every four months.
On 19 January 2024, the ship was involved in an incident in Bahrain where it collided with. It had previously been involved in a similar collision with HMS Penzance in 2021, also off the coast of Bahrain. HMS Chiddingfold was reported back in service in May 2024. In early 2025, the ship was returned to the U.K. on a heavy-lift vessel. She required docking and recertification given that her last refit was completed in February 2019. As of late 2025 it was reported that she was in "extended readiness" and used as a source for spare parts for other Hunt-class vessels.