The UK Royal Navy commissioned the specialist mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel HMS Stirling Castle in a ceremony at the Port of Grangemouth in Scotland on Friday, June 12.
Although only recently commissioned, the ship has spent 11 months operating as a floating base for the Royal Navy's autonomous MCM systems. This also included a recent mission to Gibraltar wherein she delivered some of those systems as part of preparations for eventual deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Acquired in 2023 for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Stirling Castle originally operated with the RFA designation. She was redesignated as a warship of the Royal Navy fleet, therefore becoming HMS Stirling Castle, in July 2025.
Stirling Castle is homeported at HMNB Portsmouth. The ship began life as the offshore support vessel Island Crown but was acquired by the UK Ministry of Defence in 2023 and underwent conversion at HMNB Devonport to transform her into a vessel dedicated to supporting MCM operations.
The ship will also be repainted in grey in line with international warship conventions.
