EML Admiral Cowan (M313)

EML Admiral Cowan (M313) is a Sandown-class minehunter, the former HMS Sandown lead ship of her class of the Royal Navy, now of the Estonian Navy. She is part of the Estonian Navy's Mineships Division. The commanding officer of the vessel is Lieutenant Commander Johan-Elias Seljamaa. Admiral Cowan is the third vessel of the Estonian Navy Mineships Division and also the first modernised Sandown class minehunter.

History
Sandown (M101) was built in the United Kingdom, in a Vosper Thornycroft shipyard. The vessel was launched on 16 April 1988 and entered service a year later on 9 June 1989. The Royal Navy decommissioned HMS Sandown and two of her sisters Bridport and Inverness on 9 October 2006 and sold the vessels to the Estonian Navy. Her new name comes from Admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan who led the British naval forces in the Baltic in their intervention in the Russian Civil War, providing naval support to Estonia during the Estonian War of Independence.

Coat of arms
The vessel's coat of arms was presented by Queen Elizabeth on 20 October 2006 in Tallinn. The coat of arms is a red saltire cross on a silver shield and above, a red fleur de lys (lily). The shield is placed into a blue ring which is surrounded by a golden ship's rope. The ship's coat of arms is based on Walter Cowan's family arms. The coat of arms was designed by Priit Herodes. The ship's motto is Ad Omnia Paratus (Latin) - in English "Prepared for Anything".