To mark the kick off of our first defence contract, we are delighted to welcome HMS Quorn to Harland & Wolff (Appledore) after a journey from Portsmouth Harbour.
In July, we were awarded a £55 million contract to regenerate a former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel, HMS QUORN.
On behalf of the Lithuanian Government, the Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) awarded the contract that will see HMS QUORN renovated and restored, bolstering NATO maritime capability in Europe.
Tailored for the Lithuanian Navy, the scope of work includes upgrades to the ship’s mission and sonar systems, and an additional search and rescue capability. The contract will also add new main engines, generators and propulsion gear as well as refurbish the accommodation, hull, ancillary systems, electrical systems and painting.
Supporting ambitions to bolster British shipbuilding, laid out in the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh, the regeneration will support 100 jobs at our Appledore shipyard.
This contract has provided the breakthrough needed to activate the fifth and final element of our business strategy – the key market of Defence. Now we intend to capitalise on this win through bidding on and securing further government contracts.
With the vessel now safely docked, our teams will proceed with the extensive cleaning process prior to work beginning.
About HMS Quorn
HMS QUORN completed 27 years of Service with the Royal Navy before being sold to Lithuania in April 2020. The vessel patrolled the seas as part of the Royal Navy fleet of Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs) until 2017.
The Hunt Class vessels specialise in active mine-hunting. They use high-definition sonar to scour seabeds for mines, which are then destroyed by the ship’s clearance diving teams or mine disposal system.
