Dates: 1989 - 2005
HMS Sandown was built by Vosper Thornycroft and launched on 16 April 1988 by the Duchess of Gloucester, as the lead ship of the 12 ship class of Sandown class minehunters. She participated in a number of operations in support of the British fleet, including operating as part of a NATO-led operation between 12 June - 26 August 1999, along with the Hunt class Mine countermeasure vessel HMS Atherstone and the survey ship HMS Bulldog. The operation was intended to clear the Adriatic of bombs jettisoned during the Kosovo campaign. Together Sandown and Atherstone accounted for about 20% of the 93 bombs and missiles that were located and destroyed.
On 16 January 2000 Sandown located the wreck of the sunken scallop dredger, the Solway Harvester. Sandown spent July 2002 on a Joint Maritime Course, after which she deployed to the Mediterranean to take part in the Argonaut 02 exercises, which lasted until Christmas. Sandown was also deployed as part of Operation Telic, to clear mines in the Persian Gulf, and sweep passages into Iraqi ports.
In July 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that as part of the restructuring of the Navy, the three oldest Sandown class minehunters would be retired by April 2005. HMS Sandown was decommissioned in January 2005 and was then laid up awaiting a buyer or disposal. In September 2006, Estonia signed a contract to acquire the three vessels.
After refitting in Rosyth Sandown was formally handed over to the Estonian Navy in April 2007, and renamed EML Admiral Cowan in recognition of the British Admiral Walter Cowan’s support during the 1918 Estonian War of Independence.
