HMS Ledbury (M30)

	HMS Ledbury on Operation Kipion, 2020
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Ledbury
Ordered	31 March 1977
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Launched	December 1979
Sponsored by	Lady Elizabeth Berthan
Commissioned	11 June 1981
Homeport	HMS Jufair, Bahrain
Identification	IMO number: 4906587; MMSI number: 232002833; Callsign: GWAE; Pennant number: M30;
Motto	Mors Mina ("Death to Mines")
Honours and; awards	Kuwait (1991); Al Faw (2003);
Status	Ship in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel
Displacement	750 t (740 long tons; 830 short tons)
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 × Caterpillar C32, 2 × FPP – 757 kW (1,015 hp)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	2 × MIB Diving Support Boats
Complement	45 (5 officers & 39 ratings)
Sensors and ; processing systems	Sonar Type 2193
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	SeaFox mine disposal system; Diver-placed explosive charges;
Armament	1 × 30mm DS30B S30GM1; 2 × Miniguns (may be replaced by Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns as of 2023); 3 × General purpose machine guns;

HMS Ledbury, the second ship of the name, is a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy. She was launched in December 1979 and commissioned on 11 June 1981, the second ship of her class. She cost £65 million at time of building, which was at the time the most expensive cost-per-metre for any class of ship built by the Royal Navy.^[2] Most of this cost went into the research and development of Ledbury's glass reinforced plastic hull.^[5]

Operational history

Ledbury is attached to the Second Mine Countermeasures Squadron, based in Portsmouth.

1981–1990

Ledbury was not involved in the Falklands Conflict itself but arrived in the South Atlantic in July 1982 with sister ship Brecon to clear the waters around the islands of Argentinian mines.^[6]

2009–2010

Ledbury underwent a docking maintenance period, commencing in June 2009, to fit the new Seafox mine disposal equipment.^[7]

2011–present

In 2013, Ledbury twice joined NATO Mine Countermeasure groups, one deployment taking her to the Mediterranean Sea, the other to the Baltic Sea.^[8] In June 2014, Ledbury took part in the commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.^[9]

Ledbury entered refit in 2015 during which her engines were replaced with newer, more efficient diesels. Following sea trials, Ledbury took part in Exercise Joint Warrior off the west coast of Scotland. It was announced in March 2017 that Ledbury would deploy to the Persian Gulf later 2017 to relieve sister ship HMS Chiddingfold. It was expected that she would remain in the region for at least three years.^[10] She returned to the U.K. in 2020.^[11]