Sandown-class minehunter

The Sandown class is a class of fifteen minehunters built primarily for the Royal Navy by Vosper Thornycroft. The Sandown class also serve with the Royal Saudi Navy, the Estonian Navy, and the Ukrainian Navy. The first vessel was commissioned into Royal Navy service on 9 June 1989 and all the British ships were named after coastal towns and cities. Although the class had a primary mine countermeasures role, they have had a secondary role as offshore patrol vessels. As of 2025, only one vessel of the class remains in active service with the Royal Navy.

Development

These small fibreglass vessels are single role mine hunters rather than minesweepers. Twelve ships were built for the Royal Navy and three ships were exported to Saudi Arabia. Three Royal Navy vessels were decommissioned following the Strategic Defence Review in 2003; Sandown, Inverness and Bridport. A further ship, Cromer, was decommissioned and transferred to a training role at the Britannia [Royal Naval College] in Dartmouth in 2001 as Hindostan.
The three decommissioned vessels were sold to Estonia in September 2006. They were re-equipped with TCS and the Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV for mine disposal. The sonar system was also updated. The first ship, delivered in 2007, has been named, the second, was delivered in 2008 and named and the last named in 2009.
In the 1990s, the design of the Sandown-class was adapted by Spanish company Izar for the Spanish Navy's six-ship Segura-class minehunters.

Future

The 2021 defence white paper announced that all mine countermeasures vessels in the Royal Navy would be retired during the 2020s and replaced by automated systems. It was indicated that the remaining Sandown-class ships would be retired first with the entire class to be withdrawn from service by 2025. They will be replaced with autonomous minehunting systems and specialized "motherships" deployed by the Royal Navy. While experiencing some delays, the first command and support vessel for trialling autonomous systems entered service, initially with the RFA in Spring 2024, though in 2025 it was indicated that she would be transferred to the navy.
In June 2021, during a visit by to Odesa, it was revealed that an agreement had been reached for two Sandown class ships to be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy upon decommissioning. Pembroke and Blyth were decommissioned on 4 August 2021 and following a refit by Babcock, were to be transferred to the Romanian Navy instead. In September 2023 it was reported that the transfer of Blyth had occurred and that HMS Pembroke would also be transferred to the Romanian Navy in the following year.
In September 2022, was spotted operating around Firth of Forth carrying the name Cherkasy and the pennant number M311. Though still reportedly in commission with the Royal Navy, she was now training sailors of the Ukrainian Navy prior to also being handed over to that Navy. In October 2022 it was reported that Shoreham had been decommissioned from Royal Navy service. She, and her sister ship ex-HMS Grimsby, were formally commissioned into the Ukrainian Navy in July 2023.
In 2025, the decision to retire all the Sandown-class vessels was modified when it was reported that HMS Bangor would be returned to the U.K. from the Persian Gulf to continue in service for a further five years being based out of HMNB Clyde.

Ships in class

Navy	Name	Pennant number	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Status
		M103	Vosper Thornycroft	1990	1992	Decommissioned in 2001; transferred to Britannia Royal Naval College as static training ship and renamed Hindostan
		M104	Vosper Thornycroft	1991	1992	Decommissioned; awaiting disposal
		M106	Vosper Thornycroft	1997	1998	Decommissioned
		M109	Vosper Thornycroft	1999	2000	In active service
		M110	Vosper Thornycroft	1999	2000	Decommissioned; awaiting disposal Used as parts hulk for Cherkasy / Chernihiv
	Al Jawf	420	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
	Shaqra	422	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
	Al Kharj	424	Vosper Thornycroft	1993		In active service
		M313	Vosper Thornycroft	1988	1989 / 2007	In active service
		M314	Vosper Thornycroft	1990	1991 / 2008	In active service
		M315	Vosper Thornycroft	1992	1993 / 2009	In active service
		M270	Vosper Thornycroft	2000	2001 / 2023	In active service
		M271	Vosper Thornycroft	1997	1998 / 2025	In active service
	Chernihiv	M310	Vosper Thornycroft	1998	1999/2023	Decommissioned from RN in 2022; transferred to Ukraine's Minesweeper Division in 2023
	Cherkasy	M311	Vosper Thornycroft	2001	2001/2023	Decommissioned from RN in 2022; transferred to Ukraine's Minesweeper Division in 2023