Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel

HMS Atherstone (M38)
Class overview
Builders	Vosper Thornycroft Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited
Operators	Royal Navy Hellenic Navy
Built	1978–1988
In commission	1979–
Completed	13
Laid up	2
General characteristics
Displacement	750 long tons (762 t)
Length	60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Beam	9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Draught	2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft Napier Deltic diesel, 3,540 shp
Speed	17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Complement	45 (6 officers & 39 ratings)
Sensors and processing systems	Sonar Type 2193
Armament	1 × 40 mm Bofors Mark 9, replaced by 1 × 30 mm MSI DS-30B gun
Notes	Mine counter measures equipment: SeaFox Mine Disposal System 2 × PAP remotely controlled vehicles (ROV)(under removal) MS 14 Magnetic loop Sperry MSSA Acoustic generator K8 Oropesa sweeps

For the World War I minesweepers, see Hunt class minesweeper (1916).

For the World War II escort destroyers, see Hunt class destroyer.

The Hunt class is a class of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV) of the Royal Navy. They combine the separate role of the traditional minesweeper and that of the active minehunter in one hull. They have a secondary role as fisheries patrol vessels.

They are some of the largest warships ever built out of glass-reinforced plastic (second only to the Osprey class) and are the last in operation to use the Napier Deltic diesel engine. All were built by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston except HMS Cottesmore and Middleton, which were built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited on the River Clyde. HMS Quorn was the last ship of the class launched.

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 up to 1,000 metres . In late 2007 HMS Chiddingfold used Seafox, the Royal Navy's new mine disposal system, during Exercise Neptune Warrior off Scotland. Seafox is described by the MOD as "state of the art fire and forget system, capable of destroying mines in depths of up to 300 metres".

Ships

Name	Pennant	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Home port	Status (2006)
Royal Navy
Brecon	M29	Vosper Thornycroft	1978	1980	HMNB Clyde	Training Ship
Ledbury	M30	Vosper Thornycroft	1979	1981	HMNB Portsmouth	Active
Cattistock	M31	Vosper Thornycroft	1981	1982	Portsmouth	Active
Cottesmore	M32	Yarrow Shipbuilders	1982	1983	Portsmouth	Selected for sale to Lithuania
Brocklesby	M33	Vosper Thornycroft	1982	1982	Portsmouth	Active
Middleton	M34	Yarrow Shipbuilders	1983	1984	Portsmouth	Active
Dulverton	M35	Vosper Thornycroft	1982	1983	Portsmouth	Selected for sale to Lithuania
Bicester	M36	Vosper Thornycroft		1988		Sold to Greece as Europa
Chiddingfold	M37	Vosper Thornycroft	1983	1984	Portsmouth	Active
Atherstone	M38	Vosper Thornycroft	1986	1986	Portsmouth	Active
Hurworth	M39	Vosper Thornycroft	1984	1985	Portsmouth	Active
Berkeley	M40	Vosper Thornycroft		1986		Sold to Greece as Kallisto
Quorn	M41	Vosper Thornycroft	1988	1989	Portsmouth	Active
Hellenic Navy
Europa	M62	Vosper Thornycroft		2001	Salamis	Active
Kallisto	M63	Vosper Thornycroft		2000	Salamis	Active

External links

• Royal Navy Hunt class page.
• Hunt class MCMV unofficial page.