UK’s last Type 82 destroyer to be recycled in Türkiye

Royal Navy’s HMS Bristol, the only Type 82 in existence, has been sold for recycling to an EU-approved yard in Türkiye.

HMS Bristol was formally decommissioned in a ceremony in October 2020 after almost 48 years of active service.

Construction of HMS Bristol began in 1967 with the decision to make it a ‘one-off’ design. The ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy in March 1973.

A varied career saw its inclusion in the 1982 Falklands War before being employed as a training ship in 1987 as part of the Dartmouth Training Squadron.

HMS Bristol went on to be used as the harbor training ship, adjacent to the Navy Command Headquarters on Whale Island, Portsmouth. The unit also provided accommodation for multiple youth organizations, including the Sea Cadets, Combined Cadet Forces, and the Sea Scouts.

Having remained at Portsmouth Harbour since 2011, the team from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agreed to its sale, and the vessel will now be taken to a specialist recycling facility within an EU-approved yard in Turkey.

DE&S works with the Royal Navy to ensure regulatory and legislative compliance of all tenders to deliver safe, ethical, and responsible ship recycling. All reusable equipment from ships destined for recycling is removed before sale. The remaining critical materials can be recycled for other purposes, according to the officials.

“Recycling of ships at the end of their hull life is routine business for the Royal Navy and our aim is to achieve maximum value for money for Defence in an environmentally compliant manner – HMS Bristol is a fitting example of this after her many dedicated years of service,” Alistair Hughes, Head of DRDT, said.

HMS Bristol is the second decommissioned ship to be towed for recycling this calendar year, with Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth having departed in April.