Portsmouth Minehunter Bound for the Baltic

Portsmouth-based warship HMS Hurworth leaves the Naval Base tomorrow (8 Jan) bound for a minehunting mission in the Baltic Sea and northern Europe.

The Hunt-class minehunter will spend four and-a-half months working within a NATO task force comprising ships from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland and Norway.

The task group – known as Standing Nato Mine Countermeasures Group 1 – is NATO’s immediate reaction force, ready to deploy anywhere in the region at short notice.

It was established in 1949 as a permanent force, with member countries providing vessels on a rotation basis. It provides a constant and visible reminder of the solidarity and cohesion of NATO, keeping strategic waterways free from dangerous ordnance.

Hurworth’s busy itinerary includes a series of exercises with other ships from the group and clearing some of the thousands of mines laid during the two world wars that still pose a hazard in the region. Goodwill port visits are planned for Lithuania, Germany and Belgium. 
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Andy Woolhead, said : “The ship will be operating in the North Sea and in and around the Baltic exercising with a number NATO nations under UK Command.  The ship's company are very much looking forward to the deployment as we travel to a number of foreign countries to participate in numerous exercises.  The autumn period has been spent preparing for this period away and we are now fully stored and ready to represent the UK in this important alliance.”