View source for Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel

{{For|other ship classes|Hunt class (disambiguation){{!}}Hunt class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| sclass = 2
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS Quorn is pictured as she departs from Portsmouth. MOD 45139064.jpg
| Ship caption = HMS ''Quorn'' in 2001
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Hunt class
|Builders=*[[Vosper Thornycroft]]
*[[Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited]]
|Operators=*{{navy|UK}}
*{{navy|Greece}}
*{{navy|Lithuania}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1978&ndash;1988
|In service range=
|In commission range=1979&ndash;present
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=13
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=9
|Total ships laid up=3
|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = 
| Ship displacement = {{convert|750|t|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/hms-hunt-specs.htm |title=Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications |date=11 July 2011 |publisher=[[GlobalSecurity.org]] |access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref>
| Ship length = {{convert|60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|9.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|2.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = * 2 shaft [[Caterpillar C32|CAT C32]] diesel
* {{convert|2,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|17|kn|abbr=on|lk=in}}
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship boats = 
| Ship complement = 45 (6 officers & 39 ratings)
| Ship sensors = * Radar Type 1007 I band/SharpEye navigation radar<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-navigation-radar-system-for-royal-navy |title=New navigation radar system for Royal Navy |date=28 January 2016 |publisher=[[GOV.UK]] |access-date=4 August 2016}}</ref>
* [[Sonar]] Type 2193
| Ship EW = * [[Seafox drone|SeaFox]] mine disposal system
* Diver-placed explosive charges
| Ship armament = * 1 × [[30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun|30mm DS30M Mark 2]]
* 2 × [[Minigun]]s
* 3 × [[FN MAG|General purpose machine guns]]
| Ship armour = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''Hunt class''' is a [[ship class|class]] of thirteen [[mine countermeasure vessel]]s of the [[Royal Navy]]. As built, they combined the separate roles of the traditional [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]] and that of the active [[minehunter]] in one hull, but later modifications saw the removal of mine-sweeping equipment. They have a secondary role as [[offshore patrol vessel]]s.

==Development==
Upon introduction in the early 1980s they were the largest warships ever built out of [[glass-reinforced plastic]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships |url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds00gard_606 |url-access=limited |date=1996 |location=Annapolis |publisher=US Naval Institute Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds00gard_606/page/n557 542] |isbn=1-55750-132-7}}</ref> and were the last in operation to use the [[Napier Deltic]] [[diesel engine]]. All were built by [[Vosper Thornycroft]] in [[Woolston, Hampshire|Woolston]] except {{HMS|Cottesmore|M32|2}} and {{HMS|Middleton|M34|2}}, which were built by [[Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited]] on the [[River Clyde]]. {{HMS|Quorn|M41|2}} was the last ship of the class launched. 

Following the sale of {{HMS|Bicester|M36|2}} and {{HMS|Berkeley|M40|2}} to the Greek Navy, the sale of {{HMS|Cottesmore|M32|2}} and {{HMS|Dulverton|M35|2}} to the Lithuanian Navy and the decommissioning of {{HMS|Brecon|M29|2}}, a contract to re-engine the remaining eight vessels was signed by [[BAE Systems]] in 2008, whereby the existing 30-year old Napier Deltic 9-59K power units were replaced by [[Caterpillar_C32|Caterpillar CAT C32]] engines, together with new gearboxes, bow thrusters, propellers and control systems, in a six year refurbishment programme that was completed in 2018.

The capabilities of the remaining eight vessels of the Hunt class have been significantly enhanced by the installation of [[Sonar]] Type 2193 and the NAUTIS 3 command system. The performance of Sonar 2193 exceeds that of any other mine hunting sonar in service in the world today and is capable of detecting and classifying an object the size of a football at a distance of up to 1,000 metres.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thalesgroup.co.uk/thales_corporate/press-room/pressreleases/royal-navys-most-advanced-minehunting-sonar-enters-service.cfm |title=The Royal Navy's most advanced minehunting sonar has entered service |date=26 March 2004 |publisher=[[Thales Group]] |access-date=4 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315233520/http://www.thalesgroup.co.uk/thales_corporate/press-room/pressreleases/royal-navys-most-advanced-minehunting-sonar-enters-service.cfm |archive-date=15 March 2007}}</ref> In late 2007 ''Chiddingfold '' used the [[Seafox drone]], the Royal Navy's mine disposal system, during [[Exercise Joint Warrior|Exercise Neptune Warrior]] off Scotland. Seafox is described by the MOD as a ''"state of the art fire and forget system, capable of destroying mines in depths of up to 300 metres"''.

==Ships in the class==
All 13 ships of this class re-used names from the World War II {{sclass2-|Hunt|destroyer|1}}. Four of the names had also been used for World War I {{sclass2-|Hunt|minesweeper|1||1916}}s: these were HMS ''Bicester'', ''Cattistock'', ''Cottesmore'' and ''Quorn''. {{HMS|Atherstone|1916|6}} had been a [[Racecourse-class minesweeper|paddlewheel minesweeper]] in 1916, and {{HMS|Brocklesby||2}} was a [[Coastal trading vessel|coaster]] taken up from trade in 1916.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Navy !! Name !! [[Pennant number]] !! Builder !! Launched !! Commissioned !! Status
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="9" | {{RN}}
|{{HMS|Brecon|M29|2}}
|M29
|[[Vosper Thornycroft]]
|1978
|1980
|Decommissioned, now training ship at {{HMS|Raleigh|shore establishment|6}}
|-
|{{HMS|Ledbury|M30|2}}
|M30
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1979
|1981
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Cattistock|M31|2}}
|M31
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1981
|1982
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Brocklesby|M33|2}}
|M33
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1982
|1982
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Middleton|M34|2}}
|M34
|[[Yarrow Shipbuilders]]
|1983
|1984
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Chiddingfold|M37|2}}
|M37
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1983
|1984
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Atherstone|M38|2}}
|M38
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1986
|1986
|Decommissioned 14 December 2017
|-
|{{HMS|Hurworth|M39|2}}
|M39
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1984
|1985
|In active service
|-
|{{HMS|Quorn|M41|2}}
|M41
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1988
|1989
|Decommissioned 14 December 2017
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | {{navy|Greece}}
|[[HS Europa|''Europa'']]
|M62
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1985
|1988 / 2001
|In active service, former {{HMS|Bicester|M36|6}}
|-
|[[HS Kallisto|''Kallisto'']]
|M63
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1986
|1986 / 2000
|Former {{HMS|Berkeley|M40|6}}, cut in two in a collision with a [[container ship]] on 27 October 2020.<ref name=NGTV30342>{{cite web |url=https://www.newgreektv.com/news-in-english-for-greeks/greece/item/33042-huge-merchant-ship-cuts-minesweeper-kallisto-in-two |title=Huge merchant ship cuts minesweeper "Kallisto" in two |first=E. |last=Tsiliopoulos |publisher=New Greek TV |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | {{navy|Lithuania}}
|[[HMS Cottesmore (M32)|''Skalvis'']]
|M53
|Yarrow Shipbuilders
|1982
|1983 / 2011
|In active service, former {{HMS|Cottesmore|M32|6}}
|-
|[[HMS Dulverton (M35)|''Kuršis'']]
|M54
|Vosper Thornycroft
|1982
|1983 / 2011
|In active service, former {{HMS|Dulverton|M35|6}}
|}

==See also==
*[[Sandown-class minehunter|''Sandown''-class minehunter]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Hunt class mine countermeasure vessel}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/the-equipment/ships/patrol-and-mine-hunters/mine-counter-measure-vessels |title=Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Hunt Class |publisher=Royal Navy}}

{{Hunt class minesweeper (1978)}}

[[Category:Active patrol vessels of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels| ]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]
[[Category:Napier Deltic]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]