Babcock has completed an extensive refurbishment and maintenance programme on HMS Shoreham, one of the Royal Navy’s fleet of Sandown class minehunters.
This work has been undertaken as part of Babcock’s contract with the Royal Navy to deliver the maintenance and upkeep of all seven Royal Navy Sandown class minehunters, which are based on the Clyde.
Each of the ships have to undergo a docking period every five years as part of the programme and HMS Shoreham returned to Rosyth in June after spending three years in the Gulf.
Commodore Jim Higham, lead of the warship support team at Defence Equipment and Support, said: “Maintaining the UK’s minehunting fleet is a vitally important job in support of the Royal Navy’s mission to safeguard our national interests at home and around the world.
“I’m delighted that HMS Shoreham is in a much improved material state and ready to make a welcome return to the fleet.
As well as a range of improvements and alterations, an unexpected challenge came when it was discovered the hull needed major restoration work.
Babcock project manager Dave Gibb said: “With a fibreglass ship, like the fleet of Sandown class minehunters, maintaining sections of the hull take time and precision.”
Up to 80 people from Babcock have worked on HMS Shoreham every week during the completion of the work.
Now the refurbishment and maintenance programme is complete and the vessel has passed its ready for sea inspection, HMS Shoreham is ready to return to the fleet in January.
It will not be long until another ship from the fleet arrives in Rosyth for its scheduled refurbishment.
Sandown COM senior platform manager Phil Garrett said: “The Royal Navy’s fleet of Sandown class minehunters are extremely hard working vessels and our challenge is to maintain them and keep them operating at the highest level to meet all operational commitments.
“We are delighted to have successfully completed the work on HMS Shoreham and look forward to seeing the ship return to sea early next year.”
Following HMS Shoreham’s departure, HMS Grimsby will arrive in Rosyth for the refurbishment and maintenance programme next June, then HMS Penzance will arrive in May 2018.
