Lithuania is acquiring a third ex-Royal Navy HMS Quorn Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV). The Lithuanian Navy already operates two former RN Hunt-class MCMVs: Skalvis (ex-HMS Cottesmore ) and Kursis (ex-HMS Dulverton ). Recommissioned in 2013, both ships were regenerated and upgraded by Thales UK as part of the sales agreement, receiving the Sonar 2193 hull-mounted wideband minehunting sonar and the M-Cube MCM command-and-control system. The Lithuanian Navy is looking to expand its fleet of Hunt-class via procurement of a legacy hull from the Royal Navy and regeneration of said hull to an agreed operational state.
While Lithuania is taking ownership of the vessel prior to the award of the regeneration contract, The United Kingdom’s Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) will take responsibility as procurement agent and contracting authority. Immediately upon signature, or as soon as is practicable, the contract will be novated to Lithuania’s Defence Materiel Agency. The DESA part of the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, will contract for the regeneration and upgrade on behalf of the Lithuanian Defence Materiel Agency. The package is estimated to be worth between GBP40-50 million (USD50.4-63.3 million).
HMS Quorn, the third ship of this name, was a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 23 January 1988, as the last ship of her class. From May 2011 to September 2014, Quorn was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of the Royal Navy’s permanent presence in the region. During the deployment, Quorn was “twinned” with American minehunter USS Devastator. On 30 April 2020 Defence Equipment Services announced she had been sold for £1,000,000 to the Lithuanian Navy, avoiding a disposal cost of £750,000. The Hunt class is a class of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy.
