HMS Blyth and HMS Pembroke, have been sold to Romania (Picture: Royal Navy).

Sea vessels

Two Royal Navy vessels come out of retirement to serve the Romanian navy

Two Royal Navy minehunters are coming out of retirement to support Nato's mission in the Black Sea with the Romanian navy.

Sandown-class mine countermeasures vessels HMS Blyth and HMS Pembroke have been sold to Romania and will be used to provide security in the region. Due to the conflict in Ukraine, drifting mines have posed a direct threat to the Black Sea states.

The vessels are 52.5m long, weigh 485 tonnes and have a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles. Blyth was decommissioned in 2021 and Pembroke will be retired in 2024.

The Royal Navy will provide training to prepare their Romanian counterparts to use the ships effectively.

Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge said: "Given the current geo-political climate, the UK's relationship with its Nato allies is more important than ever.

"This agreement with Romania is the latest strategic relationship we have strengthened, providing their navy with a new capability and, crucially, making a real contribution to security in the Black Sea region."

HMS Pembroke is a Sandown-class mine counter-measures vessel (Picture: Royal Navy).

HMS Blyth was one of four Navy mine-hunters permanently stationed in the Gulf and used high-definition sonar to scour the world's seabeds for mines and lost explosives.

HMS Pembroke is stationed at HMNB Clyde, and during her career her crew was made up of highly trained Mine Warfare Specialists and Mine Clearance Divers.

One of her most notable successes was the discovery and safe disposal of a Russian mine from the First World War off the coast of Lithuania.

HMS Blyth had previously spent three years in the Gulf protecting shipping (Picture: Royal Navy).

The head of the Defence Equipment Sales Authority, Richard Whalley, said: "Our dedicated sales team continue to find new homes for the retired Royal Navy Sandown-class ships and I am pleased to see HMS Blyth and HMS Pembroke preparing for their new roles.

"This agreement highlights the strong relationship we have with our allies and feeds into Nato's collective mission of supporting global security."

HMS Blyth was transferred to the Romanian navy this month, while HMS Pembroke will be transferred next spring.