The RFA’s first Scottish-named mine-hunting ‘mother ship’ RFA Stirling Castle, which can launch autonomous drones to seek out threats in the water, has arrived at her new home in Clyde.
The former oil rig support ship will be captained by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Richard Reville who has spoken with pride about his new vessel.
“Being on the first Scottish-named ship is an absolute pleasure. I’m very proud to be the commanding officer of such a wonderful platform with the capability that it has,” he said.
He said: “I have a soft spot obviously because, for myself, I’m not very far from Stirling Castle.
“There’s been equipment fits on board that had to be done in order for the vessel to move into its military service.
“So, it’s been a long process, it’s been challenging but it’s been rewarding. It’s been very different for us.”
Mr Reville recently rejoined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) after a career that included captaining super yachts.
The new minehunter RFA Stirling Castle, which was purchased by the Ministry of Defence in 2023, will replace the aging fleet of Sandown-class mine-hunting ships and is now part of the Royal Navy’s “paradigm shift”.
The shift will change how the Royal Navy deals with the threat of sea mines around the world and the vessel could be ready for operations later this year.
Currently, her crew is going through an intense period of trials to prepare the 6,000-tonne ship for “initial operational capability”. Overall, the crew will number 54, but only 27 will be deployed at any one time.
Mr Reville said the crewing arrangements gave a good “work and home life balance” and would help with recruitment.
It is hoped the ship will be ready this year and a dedication ceremony could take place as early as April.
Lieutenant Chris Stone, of the MTXG’s Zulu Squadron, said: “It’s a paradigm shift for the Royal Navy, from the legacy (mine counter-measure vessels) that Scottish people will definitely have seen about on the Clyde.
“We’re bringing in a brand new remote and autonomous capability.
“You only have to threaten to lay a mine in an area and that raises insurance premiums for shipping.
“We need a credible capability to deal with that in the future and that’s what we’re working towards now.”
As a former commercial ship, the comfort of the accommodation on RFA Stirling Castle is higher than on Royal Navy warships. Previously a Norwegian vessel, it has an onboard sauna and two gyms.
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