Το Βασιλικό Ναυτικό παρόπλισε χθες τα ναρκοθηρευτικά κλάσης Sandown, «HMS Ramsey» και «HMS Blyth», ανοίγοντας τον δρόμο για τη μεταβίβασή τους στην Ουκρανία.
Η Ουκρανία ενισχύεται με μεταχειρισμένα βρετανικά ναρκοθηρευτικά
Τα δύο πλοία αναμένεται τώρα να δεχτούν εργασίες επισκευών, πριν αποδοθούν στο Ουκρανικό Ναυτικό. Τον Ιούνιο η Βρετανία και η Ουκρανία υπέγραψαν συμφωνία που περιλαμβάνει τη μεταβίβαση των δύο πλοίων, μαζί με την κατασκευή οκτώ καινούργιων πυραυλακάτων. Επιπλέον, το ίδιο κείμενο αφήνει ανοικτό το ενδεχόμενο η βρετανική πλευρά να βοηθήσει τους Ουκρανούς και στον τομέα των φρεγατών.
Dozens of affiliates and friends attended the Dockyard to give the vessels a fitting send-off and recall their extraordinary work in protecting the country over a 20-year period of service.
The Sandown Class ships, which were both stationed at HM Naval Base Clyde as part of the First Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCM1), spent many years of their operational lives abroad, working with international partners, mainly in the Middle East and Baltic regions.
During the ceremony, sailors from Ramsey and Blyth formed a guard of honour, with HMS Blyth flying her decommissioning pennant and members of the Royal Marine Band Plymouth providing a musical backdrop.
There was also a short service led by Rev Martin Evan, Deputy Chaplain of the Fleet, as well as speeches from the senior naval officers attending, Commodore Tim Neild CBE, Commander of the Surface Flotilla, and Commodore Jim Perks CBE, Commander of the Submarine Flotilla.
HMS Ramsey left her home port at Faslane for the final time in August last year, sailing to Rosyth where she has undergone work to prepare her for formal decommissioning. Sister ship HMS Blyth left later, sailing from the Clyde on July 14 this year.
During her 21 years of service, HMS Ramsey has sailed over 175,000 miles and completed numerous operational deployments, principally in the Arabian Gulf in support of UK and Coalition operations, and in the Baltic Sea Region in support of NATO.
Announced on 21 July 2006, it was Ramsey and Blyth that formed the very first Aintree Task Unit to sail out to the Arabian Gulf and establish the forward deployed UK Mine Countermeasures Force in the region. With the milestone of 15 years of continuous and permanent presence to be achieved later this year, it is poignant that
the first two ships to contribute so much to permanent MCMV presence in the ROYAL NAVY mine
Τα ναρκοθηρευτικά «HMS Ramsey» και «HMS Blyth» εισήλθαν σε υπηρεσία το 2000 και το 2001 αντίστοιχα, υποστηρίζοντας αποστολές γύρω από το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, στη Βόρεια Ευρώπη, τη Μεσόγειο και τη Μέση Ανατολή.
