HMS Chiddingfold (M37)

HMS Chiddingfold entering Portsmouth July 2013.
History
United Kingdom
NameChiddingfold
OperatorRoyal Navy
BuilderVosper Thornycroft
LaunchedOctober 1983
Sponsored byLady Anne Kennon
CommissionedOctober 1984
HomeportHMNB Portsmouth, Hampshire
Identification
Motto"Leading the Hunt"[citation needed]
Nickname(s)"Cheery Chid"[1]
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeHunt-class mine countermeasures vessel
Displacement750 t (740 long tons)[2]
Length60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Beam9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Draught2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Propulsion2 × Caterpillar C32 diesels,[3] 2 shafts
Speed17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement45 (6 officers & 39 ratings)
Sensors and
processing systems
Sonar Type 2193
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • SeaFox mine disposal system
  • Diver-placed explosive charges
Armament

HMS Chiddingfold is a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of Britain's Royal Navy. She was launched in October 1983 by her sponsor, Lady Anne Kennon, and formally entered the service of the Royal Navy in October 1984. Chiddingfold is a minehunter, and her purpose is to find and destroy mines, not only in a time of war but also in peacetime. There are about a quarter of a million mines still active from the Second World War alone and they pose a major threat to both military and civilian ships. Chiddingfold is able to enter some types of minefields without magnetic mines detonating because she is made of glass-reinforced plastic, and all fixtures within the ship are made of non-ferrous metals, keeping the ship's magnetic signature to the bare minimum.

  1. ^ "HMS Chiddingfold (M37)". Royal Navy. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications". GlobalSecurity.org. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference shipbuildingtribune was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.