Two years of golf

The British minehunter HMS Middleton left its home port of Portsmouth on Monday. After travelling 6,000 nautical miles around Europe and crossing the Mediterranean, it is expected to arrive in the Persian Gulf in the coming weeks. For at least two years, the 750-tonne displacement boat of the Hunt-class will then be stationed at the British base HMS Jufair in Bahrain and will ensure safety in this important maritime area for shipping. During this time, two crews will rotate every four months. MCM2 Crew 7, which recently successfully completed operational sea training off the Scottish coast, will make the start.
Prior to its deployment, the Middleton was technically updated. The Orca architecture is now on board. At its centre is the M-Cube system from Thales, which is based on the Tacticos family.
In addition to the Middleton, the HMS Bangor another minesweeper will set off for the Gulf. The boat of the Sandown-class has also been technically updated and is now also equipped with Orca. The two boats replace HMS Brocklesby and HMS Shoreham who are returning to the UK.

HMS Middleton leaves Portsmouth

Text: mb; Photo: Royal Navy/Crown Copyright