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Current Location
British coastal waters
10:07 GMT - 21 December 2011
Search and Rescue
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HMS Chiddingfold
HMS Chiddingfold is one of eight Hunt-class minehunters in the Royal Navy. She is at the cutting edge of modern Naval operations. She is capable of being deployed anywhere in the world keeping vital sea lanes open by getting rid of mine threats on the sea-bed and below the surface. The 'Cheery Chid' as she is known throughout the small ship fleet was built by Vosper Thornycroft and launched in October 1983, formally entering service with the Royal Navy in October 1984. Although based in Portsmouth, HMS Chiddingfold is currently to be found in the waters of the Arabian Gulf; she and her sister Hunt-class Middleton are working alongside the two Sandown-class MCMVs Grimsby and Pembroke. In addition, Chiddingfold spends a large amount of time working with foreign navies both from the Gulf region and from further afield. The ship is currently deployed to the Gulf with MCM2 Crew 5 as the embarked ship’s company.
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold's Home Coming
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COMMANDING OFFICER
Simon Rogers
- RANK:
- Lieutenant Commander
- JOINED:
- 1997
- SPECIALISATION:
- Warfare Officer
- PREVIOUS UNITS:
- HMS Ocean, HMS Cumberland, HMS Hurworth
Military experience
Lieutenant Commander Simon Rogers grew up and was educated in Sussex. He graduated from the University of Wales with an Honours Degree in History prior to joining Britannia Royal Naval College in April 1997 as a Warfare Officer. Initial training appointments included HMS Brave, HMS Quorn and a BOST and APT(N) deployment in HMS Sheffield.
Selected as a small ship navigator, he joined HMS Cromer in 1999 conducting two MCMFOR(N) deployments including a transit of the Norwegian inner leads north of the Arctic circle before taking the Ship to disposal. Further watchkeeping followed in HMS Chatham as Senior Officer Of the Watch and Communications Officer. During this time he completed a Gulf deployment and OP TELIC in 2003 where HMS Chatham conducted NGS in support of the Al Faw landings. This was followed by a short Intelligence appointment at FOSNNI before an OPTOUR in Iraq as the Operations Officer of the RN Team responsible for training the Inland Waterways Police.
After further sea time in HMS Grafton, attendance at the Initial Command and Staff Course and successfully completing the Principal Warfare Officers’ (PWO) Course, he joined HMS Ocean as the PWO(CEW) in 2006. His short time on board included OP VELA, an amphibious deployment to West Africa and another APT(N) deployment during which he acted as the Operations Officer.
He then joined HMS Cumberland as the Operations Officer in 2007 bringing her out of refit, through BOST and on to a deployment as part of SNMG2. This included a large scale NATO certification exercise in the Mediterranean and NATO’s first Counter Piracy deployment East of Suez.
Appointed to FOST(S) in early 2009 as SWO(CEW) he was responsible for delivering warfare training to Command teams across a wide variety of RN and foreign platforms. For the second of his two years at FOST(S) he assumed the role of SWO(CMST) with responsibility for coordinating mobile sea training on CMST’s behalf.
He took Command of MCM 2 Crew 4 in HMS Hurworth in August 2011, and has now taken Command of HMS Quorn currently based in Bahrain.
OPERATIONS
Operation Gulf MCMV
CURRENT STATUS: COMPLETED
In support of wider British efforts in the region, minehunters are providing the capability to conduct route survey, sea-bed clearance, and mine clearance operations all over the Gulf. The operation also aims to provide a visible naval presence in a region where stability and good relations with local nations is vital. Much of the UK’s oil and gas, as well as other products, come from the Gulf region and as such these efforts are of vital importance to our economy and lifestyle.
LATEST NEWS
TOP STORIES
Cheers for Cheery Chid as minehunter completes lengthy Gulf mission
18 August 2011HMS Chiddingfold's three-and-a-half year minehunting mission in the Gulf has...
Jordan visit for minehunters as ships swap places
05 August 2011UK minehunters HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Grimsby visited Aqaba in...
ABOUT THE UNIT
KEY STATISTICS
- Pennant
M37
- Displacement
685tonnes
- Complement
45personnel
- Length
60Metres
- Beam
10metres
- Draught
3.4metres
- Top Speed
15knots
- Range (Nautical)
1500miles
- Launch Date
06/10/83
- Commissioned date
10/08/84
- Equivalent Length
316DVD Cases
TAKE A LOOK
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold
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HMS Chiddingfold's Home Coming
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UNITS IN TIME
HMS Chiddingfold HISTORY
TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED HMS Chiddingfold
Current Jobs
Defence Technical Non Grade Scheme (Marine Engineering)
The engineering branch includes weapons marine and air engineering. Marine Engineers manage the repair and maintenance of the ships electrical and mechanical systems alongside and at sea. Later in your career you will become involved in the procurement and building...
Marine Engineering Grad Entry
The Engineering Branch includes weapons, marine and air engineering. Marine Engineers manage the repair and maintenance of the ships mechanical and hydraulic systems alongside and at sea. Later in your career you will become involved in the procurement and building of...
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The Royal Navy’s premier air show will be commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Falklands Campaign. When the Task Force set out on its 8000 mile journey to retake the...
