United Kingdom Navy HMS Stirling Castle Commissioned

HMS Stirling Castle was commissioned into the Royal Navy at Birkenhead on 21 July 2025, becoming the first mother ship for the service's Mine Hunting Capability programme. Converted from the offshore support vessel Island Crown acquired in 2022, the 98-metre ship hosts autonomous surface and underwater vehicles that clear mines at a standoff distance rather than sending a crewed hull into the minefield. She takes over from the retiring Hunt and Sandown classes and is intended to operate primarily in UK waters and the North Atlantic.