HMS Stirling Castle

Service And Conflict Use

1. Mar 1, 2013

   Island Crown delivered

   VARD records the ship as Island Crown, a platform supply vessel for Island Offshore delivered by Vard Brevik in March 2013.

   Sources: Island Crown | VARD

2. Jul 1, 2025

   Redesignated HMS Stirling Castle

   Royal Navy reporting said the specialist mine-hunting ship formally became HMS Stirling Castle, hoisted the White Ensign in Birkenhead, and moved into front-line Royal Navy warship service.

   Sources: Specialist mine hunting ship formally becomes Royal Navy warship | Royal Navy

3. May 1, 2026

   Unique delivery mission to Gibraltar

   The ship carried four specialist mine-hunting vessels, three RHIBs, and more than 20 containers to Gibraltar using its mission deck and 100-tonne crane.

   Sources: Royal Navy mine-hunting ship completes unique delivery mission | Royal Navy

4. Jun 1, 2026

   Commissioned into the Royal Navy fleet

   The Royal Navy commissioned HMS Stirling Castle at Grangemouth, described her as a floating home to autonomous technology for hunting mines, and said she was based at Portsmouth.

   Sources: Britain’s unique minehunting ship officially welcomed into the Royal Navy fleet | Royal Navy

HMS Stirling Castle Images

Related Weapon Systems

Naval SystemsThales MCM USVMine countermeasures uncrewed surface vesselThales MCM USV is the mine-countermeasure uncrewed surface vessel element of the Franco-British SLAM-F/MMCM program. Public reporting describes the crewless craft as carrying TSAM towed sonar and SAMDIS multi-view sonar to detect and classify naval mines, with French Navy deliveries beginning in December 2024 and further production deliveries following in 2025.

Naval SystemsAntarès classSonar towing vessel classThe Antarès class is a three-ship French Navy sonar-towing vessel class built by SOCARENAM in Boulogne-sur-Mer for seabed surveillance and mine-warfare support. The 28-meter vessels tow DUBM41B sonars, support training and public-service missions around Brest, and are being withdrawn as SLAM-F autonomous mine-warfare vessels replace the class.

Naval SystemsEnsdorf class mine-countermeasure vesselMine-countermeasure vessel classThe Ensdorf class is a German mine-countermeasure vessel class rebuilt by Lürssen from five Hameln-class hulls into Type 352 drone-control boats for the Troika Plus system. The class combines mine-sweeping remote boats, mine-detection sensors, and a later peacetime role as training and presentation vessels in the 3 Minesweeper Squadron.

Naval SystemsÉridan class minehunterMinehunter classThe Éridan class is the French Navy's national subclass of the Tripartite minehunter family, built at Arsenal de Lorient and fitted for precise mine countermeasures with hull sonar and PAP 104 vehicles. French Navy material describes the class as a specialist platform for detecting, identifying, and neutralizing submerged mines, with use as a precursor for amphibious and naval-air operations.

Naval SystemsFrankenthal class minehunterMinehunter classThe Frankenthal class is a German Navy minehunter class built by Lürssen, Abeking & Rasmussen, and Krögerwerft for precise mine countermeasures in shallow waters. Bundeswehr data describe a non-magnetic steel hull, Seefuchs underwater drones, mine-laying rails, and a 27 mm MLG fit on the 54.4-meter MJ332 boats.

Naval SystemsHunt classMine countermeasures vessel classThe Hunt class is a Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel class built in the United Kingdom by Vosper Thornycroft and Yarrow Shipbuilders. The 60-metre GRP ships use high-definition sonar and SeaFox mine disposal systems to hunt mines, with Royal Navy statistics listing 725 tonnes displacement, 17 knots speed, and 1,500 nautical miles range.

Sources