HMS LEDBURY

HMS LEDBURY (IMO: 4906587) sailing under the UK flag. It has an overall length of 197 feets and a beam of 39 feets.

Vessel Identification

MMSI: 234607000 IMO: 4906587 Call Sign: GWAE Flag: United Kingdom Vessel Type: Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) Class: Hunt-class

Specification

Length Overall: 60 metres Beam: 9.8 metres Displacement: 750 tonnes (standard), 900 tonnes (full load) Hull Material: Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) — one of the largest GRP vessels ever built

Propulsion

Propulsion Type: Voith-Schneider propellers Number of Propellers: 2 Engines: 2 × Deltic diesel engines Bow Thruster: Fitted Drive System: Vectored thrust providing exceptional manoeuvrability for mine hunting operations

Shipyard

Builder: Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston, Southampton, United Kingdom Laid Down: 1977 Launched: 5 December 1979 Commissioned: 11 June 1981

Owner/Operator

Owner: United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) Operator: Royal Navy Home Port: HMNB Portsmouth

Navigation/Communications Equipment

Navigation Systems: Fitted with Type 193M mine hunting sonar Positioning: Precision navigation systems supporting mine countermeasures operations Communications: Fitted with standard Royal Navy tactical communications suite Acoustic Signature: Low acoustic, magnetic and electrical signature by design

Operating Region

HMS Ledbury operates primarily in UK home waters, the North Sea, the English Channel, and has deployed to the Persian Gulf on multiple occasions, including operations in the Strait of Hormuz. As a Hunt-class vessel she is deployable across NATO operational areas and littoral environments where mine threat assessment is required.

Vessel Description

HMS Ledbury is a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy, serving as both a minesweeper and minehunter. The Hunt class was designed to replace older Ton-class vessels and represents a significant advancement in British naval mine warfare capability. The hull is constructed entirely from glass reinforced plastic, making it one of the largest warships in the world to use this material, which substantially reduces the vessel's magnetic signature — a critical characteristic for safe operation in mined waters.

The vessel is equipped to detect, classify and neutralise moored and ground mines using sonar and remotely operated disposal systems. HMS Ledbury has seen active operational service including deployments to the Persian Gulf, where she has participated in mine clearance and freedom of navigation operations. She has been active in Royal Navy service for over four decades and is regarded as one of the more operationally experienced vessels within the Hunt class.