The Hunt class is a class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV) of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. They combine the separate role of the traditional minesweeper

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

 and that of the active minehunter

Minehunter

Minehunters are mine countermeasure vessels that actively detect and destroy individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines...

 in one hull. They have a secondary role as fisheries patrol vessels.

Upon introduction in the early 1980s they were the largest warships ever built out of glass-reinforced plastic

Glass-reinforced plastic

Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....

 and are the last in operation to use the Napier Deltic

Napier Deltic

The Napier Deltic engine is a British opposed-piston valveless, two-stroke diesel engine used in marine and locomotive applications, designed and produced by Napier & Son...

 diesel engine

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

. All were built by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston except HMS Cottesmore

HMS Cottesmore

Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Cottesmore after the Cottesmore hunt:* The first Cottesmore, launched in 1917, was a Hunt-class minesweeper. She served in World War I and was paid off and sold in 1919....

 and Middleton

HMS Middleton (M34)

HMS Middleton is a Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessel of the British Royal Navy. She forms part of the Second Mine Countermeasures Squadron based in Portsmouth.-Affiliations:* Middleton, Rochdale...

, which were built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited on the River Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....

.