HMS Roebuck (H130)

HMS Roebuck (H130) was a coastal survey vessel of the Royal Navy (RN). She was commissioned in 1986, and was the last traditional survey ship to join the fleet. Although nominally used for surveying along the United Kingdom continental shelf, with the downsizing of the survey fleet, Roebuck was enhanced to enable her to operate overseas. She was fitted with a full suite of hydrographic sensors, and a Survey Motor Boat for inshore work. In addition, as with the other vessels of the survey squadron, she could also operate as a support ship for mine warfare vessels. Roebuck was due to be decommissioned in 2003 following the entry into service of the Echo class. However, the decision was then taken to keep the ship in service until 2014, though this was later revised in December 2009 to a 2010 decommissioning. It has been declared that the ship has been sold to the Bangladesh Navy for £5 million.

Her last commanding officer was Lieutenant-Commander Richard Bird.

Roebuck was the first RN ship into Umm Qasr Port following the second Gulf War. The work she carried out prior to, and during, the war proved invaluable, allowing coalition ships to operate closer to shore than previously thought possible, and reducing helicopter flying time by ten minutes per sortie during the landings. Roebuck completed a Ship Life Extension Period (refit) towards the end of 2005, and then deployed to the Mediterranean, returning to the UK in April 2006. Roebuck then deployed to East Africa in June 2006, returning on Monday 21 August 2006.

Upon arrival in August, the crew had barely a few hours notice before the ship was placed on display at HMNB Devonport Navy Days 2006 as the representative of the Hydrographic Squadron after HMS Enterprise could not attend.

During 2008 HMS Roebuck acted as the Command Platform for the NATO minehunting group SNMCMG1 (NATO Standing Naval Mine Countermeasures Group 1).

Her affiliations according to her official website were:-

The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, The town of Didcot in Oxfordshire, TS Roebuck,the sea cadet unit based at The Hydrographic Office in Taunton in Somerset, and 130(Bournemouth)Squadron of The Air Training Corps.

Decommissioning
It was announced on December 16, 2009, that Roebuck would be decommissioned in 2010. She was decommissioned at HMNB Devonport on 15 April 2010. She was handed over to the Bangladesh Navy on 28 May and sailed on 1 June 2010.