The vessel proudly safeguards the Gulf alongside regional naval forces

Abu Dhabi February 24, 2015

The second 'Ship of the Day' being showcased at NAVDEX, the largest naval defence exhibition in the region, has been unveiled today as "HMS Shoreham". NAVDEX is taking place all week, alongside IDEX - the world's leading joint defence exhibition. HMS Shoreham M112 is a Sandown-class of fifteen minehunter vessels, built primarily for the British Royal Navy, and is the fifth vessel to bear the name.

The Sandown-class serves alongside the Royal Saudi Navy and HMS Shoreham is one of four British Royal Navy minehunters currently based in the Gulf. Her role, and that of sister ship HMS Ramsey and Hunts and HMS Atherstone and Quorn, is to safeguard the waters of the Gulf, including survey missions with the Kuwaiti Navy to take part in the largest mine countermeasures exercise ever held.

HMS Shoreham M112 was built by Vosper Thorneycroft, once a British shipbuilding group, now owned by private investment fund Resolute Fund II LP. The ship was launched on 9 April 2001 and was formally accepted into service on 28 November 2001. The first vessel was commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1989. The ships are named after coastal towns and cities of Great Britain.

Minehunters are generally small, shallow-draught vessels, as they are often called upon to work in enclosed bodies of water such as shipping channels or harbors. The fiberglass body length of HMS Shoreham is 52.5 meters and 10.5 meters wide, with a displacement weight of 600 tonnes. HMS Shoreham is able to reach sailing speeds of up to 13 knots and has a range of 2,500 nautical miles.

A minehunter naval vessel actively detects and destroys individual naval mines using imaging sonar to detect and classify targets before deploying divers or remotely operated vehicles to inspect and neutralise the threat, often using small charges that are detonated remotely. The minehunter class of vessel is not to be confused with minesweepers ships that clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines.

Visitors to NAVDEX this week can explore HMS Shoreham M112, which also took part in IDEX 2013, moored in the ADNEC Marina for the duration of the IDEX event. Live demonstrations are also taking place, consisting of individual boat demonstrations, anti-terrorism underwater defence, and the official NAVDEX daily demonstration.

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About IDEX, NAVDEX & UMEX
The International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) is the world's leading joint defence exhibition. IDEX takes place biennially under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and is organized by IDEX LLC (an ADNEC Group Company) in association with the UAE Armed Forces GHQ.

This year, IDEX 2015 will feature the third edition of NAVDEX, the maritime security show that has quickly become the largest naval defence exhibition in the region, along with the first edition of UMEX, an unmanned systems technology show designed as an ideal business platform to promote and showcase the modern era of defence.

IDEX, NAVDEX & UMEX demonstrate the latest defence technologies across land, sea and air. It is a unique platform to establish and strengthen relationships with government departments, businesses and armed forces. In 2013 the IDEX and NAVDEX attracted 1,112 exhibiting companies and over 80,000 visitors.

IDEX 2015, welcoming Tawazun as Strategic Partner, will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), United Arab Emirates from the 22nd - 26th of February.

For more information go to www.idexuae.ae

© Press Release 2015