Oban to be given glimpse of Royal Navy mine hunter

People living in and around Oban will have the opportunity to tour a working Royal Navy mine hunter when HMS Pembroke stops-off from July 9th to 11th.

The visit to the town is the first time in three years that a Royal Navy Mine Counter Measures Vessel (MCMV) has been alongside and to mark the occasion the ship will be open to visitors from 12pm to 4pm on Sunday, July 10th.
 
The Commanding Officer of HMS Pembroke, Lieutenant Commander Simon Henderson MBE, said:  “I am delighted to be able to bring my ship into Oban.  The crew have had a very busy year deploying with NATO in February and supporting wider UK Defence interests in the Baltic and High North.  Since returning to the UK, the team have been conducting training and supporting defence tasks in and around Faslane and the West Coast of Scotland. 
 
“Our visit to Oban marks our first visit outside of HM Naval Base Clyde in several months and the opportunity to open Pembroke and allow the public to see their navy first-hand makes this an extremely important visit.”
 
HMS Pembroke is a Sandown Class mine hunter with a crew of around 40 men and women trained in mine warfare, diving, engineering, and a host of other trades and specialisms.
 

Designed to seek out and destroy maritime mines, the ship features advanced Sonar to detect the mines and the Sea Fox underwater vehicle or mine clearance divers to dispose of the threats.
 
Since 2006, Royal Navy ships and crews have worked non-stop in the Gulf surveying the seabed and helping to keep crucial maritime trade routes open.  Thousands of vessels – including HMS Pembroke – have spent months on end in the Middle East ensuring no harm comes to the shipping that carries most of the UK’s fuel, energy, and consumer goods.
 
The MCMVs and their crews have surveyed seabed covering an area of more than 3,500 square miles since the mission began.  To sustain the operation – known as Operation Kipion – ships typically spend three or four years on deployment in the Gulf while the crews are routinely rotated.
 
Those interested on going onboard HMS Pembroke should turn up at the North Pier, Oban, between 12pm and 4pm on Sunday, July 10th, for a free tour of the ship.