Royal Navy: Massive £25m bill to repair HMS Bangor and HMS Chiddingfold after crash in Bahrain, reports say

HMS Bangor was left "close to sinking" after fellow minehunter HMS Chiddingfold slammed into the warship off the coast of Bahrain last Friday. A mechanical fault caused the Portsmouth-based vessel to lose control and hit the ship while it was berthed.

As reported in Forces News, an estimated £25m worth of damage was caused in the accident, with the mechanical problem thought to be a wiring issue. No personnel on either vessel were injured in the collision. Shocking footage circulated on social media, as well as pictures showing a large hole on the side of HMS Bangor.

The galley and the bedrooms were left in ruins. Defence secretary Grant Shapps defended the Royal Navy following the incident, The politician said there was no signs of "incompetence" but that something "clearly" went wrong. As previously reported, he told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Just as in aviation or many other walks of life sometimes accidents and incidents happen, there’s a full investigation under way.

"We don’t say it’s incompetence when we see an aircraft come down, a very rare occasion just as this would be a rare occasion, it’s right to leave the investigators some time to work out exactly what’s gone wrong. Something clearly did and we need to see what it is." The ships are deployed in the Middle East as part of Operation Kipion. Navy personnel are taked with protecting crucial oil and trade routes.

Rear Admiral Edward Ahlgren OBE, Commander Operations, issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, on the day of the crash. He said: "I am aware of a recent incident that took place between two minehunters in Bahrain Harbour. First of all I would like to stress that thankfully nobody was hurt in the collision, but some damage was sustained.

"Why this happened is still to be established. We train our people to the highest standards and rigorously enforce machinery safety standards, but unfortunately incidents of this nature can still happen. I assure you that a full and thorough investigation is already under way and any changes in procedure that could prevent further incidents will be rapidly implemented.. In the meantime the UK will continue to play a key part in ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region."

An investigation into what happened by the Royal Navy is ongoing. A spokeswoman said: "The Royal Navy is aware of an isolated incident concerning two Minehunters alongside in Bahrain. There are no casualties as a result of this incident and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing."