Two British Royal Navy minesweeper vessels have collided while docking in Bahrain, with one ship caught on video as it backed into the other. A British military spokesperson has confirmed the mishap, saying the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The crash took place on Thursday as the HMS Chiddingfold, a Hunt-class mine countermeasures ship, attempted to dock at an undisclosed location in the Gulf island state.
As captured in a clip making the rounds online, the Chiddingfold was seen slamming into the bow of the Sandown-class mine-hunter HMS Bangor.
An unnamed military source cited by UK Defense Journal said that teams would be sent to review the damage and create a plan for repairs. A Royal Navy spokesperson also addressed the accident in a statement issued on Friday.
The aftermath of the crash was caught in another image, which showed a sizable hole in the Bangor’s hull.
Designed to locate and destroy naval mines, the HMS Chiddingfold is constructed of glass-reinforced plastic and other non-ferrous materials in order to reduce its magnetic signature.
The Hunt-class minesweeper entered service in the 1980s, and serves a secondary role as an offshore patrol ship. It remains one of London’s primary mine-hunting vessels, and was equipped with advanced hull-mounted Sonar following a series of upgrades.
The Bangor, meanwhile, was commissioned in 2000 and is used to detect mines at depths of up to 200 meters (655 feet).
The vessel took part in patrols off the Libyan coast in 2011 during the NATO invasion in the North African state, which saw the violent overthrow and murder of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi by Islamist militants.
A Sandown-class Mine Countermeasures Vessel, the ship carries SeaFox naval drones used to assist mine-clearance divers during the disposal of explosives.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2024.
Was a diversity hire driving? Strange how the UK sends its navy across the World whilst its own shoreline is under invasion by illegal ‘replacement’ immigration everyday. These sailors will return home to find their churches turned into mosques and their pubs into kebab shops whilst their daughters are being hunted down by grooming gangs…non of them will receive a hero’s welcome.
I’m tipping that the Captain’s were probably women, everyone knows they’re crap at parking!
What are they using for afternoon tea?
The British failed to send the aircraft carrier to Red Sea, because they didn’t have enough soldiers for the supply ship. Now they have another excuse again, good thinking! Joe, you’re on your own now!