We have had to wave goodbye to dozens of Royal Navy ships this century, that were either sold or scrapped. HMS Illustrious, a Portsmouth-based Invincible-class aircraft carrier that performed various duties in the aftermath of the Falklands War, was scrapped in 2016 despite the government in 2012 stating that she would be preserved.placeholder image
We have had to wave goodbye to dozens of Royal Navy ships this century, that were either sold or scrapped. HMS Illustrious, a Portsmouth-based Invincible-class aircraft carrier that performed various duties in the aftermath of the Falklands War, was scrapped in 2016 despite the government in 2012 stating that she would be preserved. | Royal Navy

38 Royal Navy ships we shed a tear and waved goodbye to in the 21st century after being sold or scrapped

Freddie Webb
By Freddie Webb

Defence Reporter

Published 9th Jul 2025, 15:39 BST

It can be an emotional moment for many when a Royal Navy ship moves on to pastures new.

Each vessel that flies the White Ensign has great affinity with those who served on them and the general public. Many Royal Navy ships bare the name of cities across the country, while also being affiliated to great naval bases such as Portsmouth.

The Royal Navy is looking to modernise its fleet and introduce new capabilities to replace the ones that are going out. Armed forces minister Luke Pollard previously stressed this in a Defence Select Committee meeting yesterday, stressing that there will be transition period for the force.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) often sells ships to other countries if they are functional, with many requiring restoration before being handed over. This is often to mitigate ongoing costs incurred to the taxpayer, especially if a vessel is not able to be used operationally. Closer diplomatic ties through such sales are also considered.

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Many vessels are considered no longer seaworthy, and will be auctioned off to scrapyards across the globe - particularly those in Turkey that can take on a high proportion of ships. Here is a list of every Royal Navy ship that has been recycled or sold since the year 2000.

Vessels that have been decommissioned and do not currently have their future mapped out for them, such as HMS Montrose, HMS Enterprise, and others, have not been included.

Three vessels have no associated picture, so they are listed below:

  • HMS Bridport: A Sandown-class minehunter, now known as EML Ugandi, which was decommissioned in 2005 and part of a deal to sell three minehunters to Estona.
  • RFA Olwen: She was handed over for disposal on September 19, 2000. She was scrapped at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard in India.
  • HMS Kellington: The Ton-class minesweeper was decommissioned in 1993 and was turned into a training ship for the sea cadets. She was closed in 2005 for safety reasons, before being broken up in situ by Able UK in County Durham.
HMS Shoreham, a Sandown-class minehunter, was donated to Ukraine and is now known as Cherkasy. She has been seen in the Portsmouth area recently.

37. HMS Shoreham

HMS Shoreham, a Sandown-class minehunter, was donated to Ukraine and is now known as Cherkasy. She has been seen in the Portsmouth area recently. | Royal Navy

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HMS Orwell, a River-class minesweeper, was sold to Guyana in 2001 and renamed Essequibo. Pictured: Lieutenant Commander Richard Hewitt salutes 24 Commonwealth war dead during a visit to the Caribbean nation.

38. HMS Orwell

HMS Orwell, a River-class minesweeper, was sold to Guyana in 2001 and renamed Essequibo. Pictured: Lieutenant Commander Richard Hewitt salutes 24 Commonwealth war dead during a visit to the Caribbean nation. | Royal Navy

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