View source for HMS Ledbury (M30)

{{Short description|1981 Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Ledbury}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS Ledbury depolyed on Op KIPION MOD 45167292.jpg
| Ship caption = HMS ''Ledbury'' on [[Operation Kipion]], 2020
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name = HMS ''Ledbury''
| Ship ordered = 31 March 1977<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=1981-10-27.336.5 |title=Written Question: Service Men (Rehabilitation) |date=27 October 1981 |website=[[TheyWorkForYou]] |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = [[VT Group|Vosper Thornycroft]]
| Ship yard number = 
| Ship laid down = 
| Ship launched = December 1979
| Ship sponsor = Lady Elizabeth Berthan<ref name="royalnavy.mod.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/hunt-class/hms-ledbury/ |title=HMS ''Ledbury'' |website=Royal Navy |access-date=15 March 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100910002041/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/hunt-class/hms-ledbury/ |archive-date=10 September 2010}}</ref>
| Ship christened = 
| Ship completed = 
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 11 June 1981
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship renamed = 
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship homeport = HMS Jufair, Bahrain
| Ship identification = *{{IMO Number|4906587}}
*{{MMSI Number|232002833}}
*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: GWAE
*[[Pennant number]]: M30
| Ship motto = {{lang|la|Mors Mina}} ("Death to Mines")
| Ship nickname = 
| Ship honours = *[[Liberation of Kuwait campaign|Kuwait]] (1991)
*Al Faw (2003)
| Ship captured = 
| Ship status = Ship in active service
| Ship notes = 
| Ship badge = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = {{sclass2|Hunt|mine countermeasures vessel}}
| Ship displacement = {{convert|750|t|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/hms-hunt-specs.htm |title=Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels - Specifications |date=11 July 2011 |website=[[GlobalSecurity.org]] |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>
| Ship length = {{convert|60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|9.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|2.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 2 × [[Caterpillar C32]], 2 × FPP – {{convert|757|kW|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship boats = 2 × MIB Diving Support Boats
| Ship complement = 45 (5 officers & 39 ratings)
| Ship sensors = * [[Sonar]] Type 2193
| Ship EW = * SeaFox mine disposal system
* Diver-placed explosive charges
| Ship armament = * 1 × [[30mm DS30B S30GM1]]
* 2 × [[Minigun]]s (may be replaced by [[Browning .50 caliber machine gun|Browning .50 caliber heavy machine guns]] as of 2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.navylookout.com/in-focus-the-fleet-solid-support-ship-design/ |title=In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design |publisher=Navy Lookout |date=28 February 2023 |access-date=14 April 2023}}</ref>
* 3 × [[FN MAG|General purpose machine guns]]
| Ship armour = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Ledbury''''', the second ship of the name, is a {{sclass2|Hunt|mine countermeasures vessel}} of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] in December 1979 and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 11 June 1981, the second ship of her [[Ship class|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.<ref name="royalnavy.mod.uk"/> Most of this cost went into the research and development of ''Ledbury''{{'}}s [[glass reinforced plastic]] [[hull (watercraft)|hull]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/hunt-class/hms-ledbury/introduction/introduction |title=Hunt class: HMS ''Ledbury'': Introduction |website=Royal Navy |access-date=15 March 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100911102222/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/mine-countermeasure/hunt-class/hms-ledbury/introduction/introduction |archive-date=11 September 2010}}</ref>

==Operational history==
{{stack|[[File:HMS Ledbury (M30) - Portsmouth 2007 - BB.jpg|thumb|HMS ''Ledbury'' in Portsmouth 2007]]}}
''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]]  {{HMS|Brecon|M29|2}} to clear the waters around the islands of Argentinian [[Naval mine|mines]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/the_forgotten_few_of_the_falklands.htm |title=The Forgotten Few of the Falklands |first=Rob |last=Hoole |date=June 2007 |number=126 |magazine=Ton Talk |publisher=Ton Class Association |via=Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officers' Association |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>

===2009–2010===
''Ledbury'' underwent a docking maintenance period, commencing in June 2009, to fit the new [[Seafox drone|Seafox]] mine disposal equipment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hunt Class Minesweeper / Minehunter |url=https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/huntclass/ |website=navytechnology.com |access-date=23 November 2019}}</ref>

===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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2013/october/30/131031-hms-ledbury-ready-for-action-in-the-baltic |title=HMS ''Ledbury'' ready for action in the Baltic |date=30 October 2013 |website=Royal Navy |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> In June 2014, ''Ledbury'' took part in the commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the [[Normandy landing]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2014/june/19/140619-ledbury-on-ceremonial-and-training |title=HMS ''Ledbury'' on Ceremonial and training duties |date=19 June 2014 |website=Royal Navy |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>

''Ledbury'' entered refit in 2015 during which her engines were replaced with newer, more efficient diesels. Following [[sea trial]]s, ''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|M37|6}}. It was expected that she would remain in the region for at least three years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2017/march/23/170323-ledbury-gears-up-for-gulf-mission |title=''Ledbury'' gears up for Gulf mission with extensive workout in Scotland |date=23 March 2017 |website=Royal Navy |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> She returned to the U.K. in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/tearful-royal-navy-sailors-return-to-portsmouth-on-hms-ledbury-after-months-of-covid-quarantine-in-the-gulf-2969042 |title=Tearful Royal Navy sailors return to Portsmouth on HMS Ledbury after months of Covid quarantine in the Gulf |date=12 September 2020 |website=The News |last=Cotterill |first=Tim |access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/surface-fleet/minehunters/hunt-class/hms-ledbury |title=HMS ''Ledbury'' |website=Royal Navy}}

{{Hunt class MCMV}}
{{Royal Navy ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledbury (M30)}}
[[Category:Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels]]
[[Category:1979 ships]]


{{UK-minesweeper-stub}}