Former Royal Navy minehunter bought by DE&S joins Romanian Navy

A former Royal Navy minehunter has been commissioned into the Romanian Navy the place she is going to contribute to NATO’s mission supporting safety within the Black Sea.

Along with sister ship HMS Blyth, Sandown-class Mine Counter Measure Vessel HMS Pembroke was bought to Romania by DE&S’ Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) – now outmoded by the Exports and Sales crew throughout the National Armaments Director Group – which disposes of automobiles and gear now not wanted by UK Armed Forces.

Pembroke was commissioned into the Romanian Navy throughout a ceremony at Rosyth in Scotland and can now be referred to as Capitan Constantin Dumitrescu (M217).

Prior to the handovers, the DE&S Ships Support crew additionally labored with Babcock to refurbish each minehunters earlier than they have been transferred to their new homeowners.

Commodore Richard Whalley, Former Head of Sales and Exports at DE&S and now Deputy Director Exports and Sales, International Collaboration and Exports on the National Armaments Director Group mentioned: “We are pleased to have found HMS Pembroke a new home with the Romanian Navy. This agreement highlights the strong relationship we have with our allies and feeds into NATO’s collective mission of supporting global security.”

Attending the Pembroke ceremony was the Romanian Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Mihai Panait, the Royal Navy’s Commander Operations Major General Rich Cantrill, and representatives from Babcock. The Romanian flag was hoisted on the minehunter for the primary time, and the ceremony concluded with a tour of the ship.

Royal Navy’s Maj Gen Cantrill mentioned: “We are pleased to see former HMS Pembroke commissioned into the Romanian Naval Forces. She will play a key role in Black Sea security going forward and this demonstrates the strengthening bond between our two Nations’ militaries.”

The former Sandown Class ship is 52.5m lengthy, weigh 485 tonnes and has a spread of greater than 2,500 nautical miles with out refuelling.

Specialising in mine warfare in deep water, she makes use of high-definition sonar to scour the world’s seabeds for mines and misplaced explosives, that are then safely destroyed by the ship’s clearance diving groups or the ATLAS Seafox mine disposal system.

They additionally labored intently with regional and coalition companions to take care of the safety of the ocean lanes of communications, essential to worldwide delivery and the worldwide financial system.

One of HMS Pembroke’s most notable successes was the invention and protected disposal of a Russian mine from the First World War. A distant underwater automobile was deployed to determine the system off the coast of Lithuania earlier than it was safely disposed of.

The Sandown Class are being changed by autonomous mine-hunting techniques working from HMS Stirling Castle. In the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drifting mines pose a direct menace to Black Sea states, and sea traces of communication. This sale will allow Romania, a key NATO ally, to have a direct, optimistic contribution to the maritime safety of the area.