Type 23 Frigate HMS Kent joined Greek fast attack missile craft HS Daniolos for an exercise in Greek waters.

HMS Kent is currently deployed as part of the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment.

Previously, the vessel hosted Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Greece along with members of the defence industry and conducted a briefing for Greek journalists alongside Piraeus, Greece.

HMS Kent is a Type 23 frigate and, say the Royal Navy, “part of the fleet that is considered to be central to our frontline operations. That includes disrupting the work of criminals, including smugglers, pirates and drug traffickers”.

“As one of the Royal Navy’s newest frigates, she’s been specially designed for versatility, meaning she can undertake a wide variety of operations, from combat and humanitarian aid to acting as a training vessel for the next generation of Royal Navy engineers. She has also played a key role in high profile ceremonial events.”

What is the UK Carrier Strike Group doing?

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the deployed flag ship for Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21), a deployment that will see the ship and her escorts sail to the Asia-Pacific and back.

The Carrier Strike Group includes ships from the United States Navy, the Dutch Navy, and Marines from the US Marine Corps. As well as British frigates, destroyers, a submarine, two RFA supply ships and air assets from 617 Sqn, 820 NAS, 815 NAS and 845 NAS.

The Carrier Strike Group.

CSG21 will see the ship along with the Strike Group work with over 40 countries from around the world. The Strike Group will operate and exercise with other countries Navies and Air Forces during the 7 month deployment.

Avatar photo
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

38 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Pete
Pete
2 years ago

Another…’one of the newest’….were on a roll!

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Do you reckon someone somewhere is having a quiet ‘dig’?  😂 

Pete
Pete
2 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

Yep….and im waiting for the next article discussing HMS Victory is one of our newest first rate ships of the line !!

Trevor G
Trevor G
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

And of course HMS Belfast (the one down south) is our newest cruiser….

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

use it as a blueprint for a t83 destroyer?

Jonathan
Jonathan
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

If you compare it to HMS Trincomalee they are really modern frigates.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

sloops more like.

Frank62
Frank62
2 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Reminds me of an old trawler crew from the early C20th out of Lowestoft which had a crew of 70-80 year olds & the “boy” was in his 60s.
The last T23 was commissioned in 2002, but Richmond in 1995, with 6 later T23s commisioning after her. We’ve not commisioned any frigates sscince then, so the “one of our newest” statement is complete smoke & mirrors to give the impression the class aren’t close to their sell-by date. Disinformation is being employed freely to lull the UK public into a false sense of security by HMG.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Frank62

the best place in Lowestoft is the train station. a truly awful place

Andrew
Andrew
2 years ago

21 years old and described as one of the newest frigates in the fleet!

David
David
2 years ago

So are we selling our… newest… frigates to the Greeks?

Miltos
Miltos
2 years ago
Reply to  David

Not a fat chance, not with Such proTurkish British foreign policy in Cyprus anyway

Bloke down the pub
Bloke down the pub
2 years ago

The Greek vessels are of UK design and will probably be the basis of the boats being offered to the Ukrainians.

David
David
2 years ago

Send code settings over.

What British designed Greek vessels? Has a contract been signed?

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  David

The one in the picture.  😉 

Bloke down the pub
Bloke down the pub
2 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

I had to double check that it wasn’t me commenting on the wrong post.

Ben Turner
Ben Turner
2 years ago
Reply to  David

The HN Roussen Class FAC was designed by VT Shipbuilding who also provided lead yard services to Elefsis Shipyard who built all the ships.

David
David
2 years ago
Reply to  Ben Turner

Never knew. Thank you.

Paddy Dowsett
Paddy Dowsett
2 years ago
Reply to  David

Nothing signed yet. The Greek requirement is for 5 new frigates for which we are offering the Type 31, a refurbishment of their Mekos, an interim solution while their Mekos are OOA ( 2 x Type 23s) and recapitalisation of a shipyard to support the above!

David
David
2 years ago
Reply to  Paddy Dowsett

Thanks Paddy.

Miltos
Miltos
2 years ago
Reply to  David

The 9 fast attack missile boats of Greece are of British design but built locally

Paul.P
Paul.P
2 years ago

Love it.. Great sales job….’I believe you are looking for some frigates….did we mention sister ship HMS Montrose is going for a song’…. 🙂

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Paul.P

the t23’s can be used as useful bargaining chips in deals with other nations

Paul.P
Paul.P
2 years ago
Reply to  andy reeves

Yes, agree; notwithstanding opinions often voiced that they are ‘ knackered’ , as a fleet the RN has maintained them as effective fighting ships. Lifex’d with new diesels and with an ‘ industry standard’ mcg and the AShM of your choice they are an attractive package especially when you add Sea Ceptor, and Wildcat with its new missiles.

Jonathan
Jonathan
2 years ago

Do you think someone made sure to get a good picture with Harpoon in it as a sort of look we have got heavyweight Anti ship missiles Onest Guv….we do

Jonathan
Jonathan
2 years ago

So this is actually not just a deployment of our carrier group, but an underhanded attempt at second hand frigate selling.

Glass Half Full
Glass Half Full
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Not really anything underhanded about it. The new Greek frigate order potential includes replacing some of the older Elli-class Greek frigates, upgrading the newer Hydra-class Greek frigates and also requires two interim frigates for use while the new frigates are built. The Greeks could probably do far worse than a couple of T23s. They could probably also do far worse than the Arrowhead 140 with its low entry cost for the new frigate builds.

Jonathan
Jonathan
2 years ago

Underhand is probably the wrong word, I just had images of some Commander RN, doing a used car salesman impression, kicking the keel etc….

David Steeper
David Steeper
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

No that would be beneath the RN’s dignity a CPO maybe ! But look on the bright side the more stuff we sell the cheaper Type 32 might turn out to be and the more we can buy. It might even mean some more shipbuilding jobs outside Scotland. I know a lot of mights.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

remember the ‘lost £60 million paid to a ‘fixer during the sale of two t 22’s to the Romanians the serious fraud office spent over ten years looking for it and gave up.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

we’ve done it before, the whole class of the t22 was sol/given away

David
David
2 years ago

Is it me, or there are many potential sales of Ts 26 + 31 in the offing? And great if we do!

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  David

pointless really. given the dismal production rates from u.k yards they’ll wait forever to get them.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  David

maybe licence other nations to build their own.

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago

THE IDEA OF CONVERTING SMALL PATROL CRAFT INTO SERIOUS WARFIGHTING UNITS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY i’ think putting a single tube asw tube onto an archer and coordinating several to work in collusion with say a t 31 in littoral waters would be a good pace to go many countries include missile boats as part of its inventory.. the Iranians have mounted a cruise missile onto a fast british commercial speedboat(bradstock).asymmetric warfare will be the future of naval warfare the days of major warships trading blows in battle is long gone fast boats like archers should be… Read more »

Kevin Baylis
Kevin Baylis
2 years ago
Reply to  andy reeves

There was an interesting concept floated by a US think-tank last year outlining long range littoral patrol boat that had sufficient commonality with commercial vessels to allow it to go ‘dark’ in tactical TTW periods and blend in with other traffic. For a RN context there could a standardised build using diesel engines/ generator with external electric motor pods and a battery pack that would allow some quiet running, a commercial radar set but with defence standards DSP on the returns, wet dock at the rear for a rigid raider, dozen (or more) vertical launch tubes, borrow the battle management… Read more »

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  Kevin Baylis

at least ours are already built

andy reeves
andy reeves
2 years ago
Reply to  andy reeves

the whole archer class is a waste of diesel