HMS Montrose sailed into the Sri Lankan capital Colombo this week.
According to a release from the Royal Navy, a military escort and marching band were waiting on the jetty in Colombo’s civilian port for the frigate – as were several groups of VIPs, Sri Lankan media and groups of school children, all keen to look around the 4,500-tonne warship – while the ship’s company lined the upper decks in their finest tropical uniforms.
“Once the gangway was across, the Brits proudly showed their guests around the frigate, talking about the deployment to date and the ship’s impending security mission in the Indian Ocean and Middle East.”
“It was great to share our story with such bright and engaging individuals, recounting stories of our deployment really brought home to me just how far we have travelled since leaving Plymouth at the end of October 2018,” said Lieutenant Kate Pridham, deputy logistics officer, in a news release.
The Type 23 frigate is in the final stages of a journey to Bahrain where she’ll be based for up to three years, with crew being replaced every four months to sustain her long-term presence.
I love the type 23, Why don’t we base the type 31 on the type 23?, but just modernise it.
Not a bad shout Cam but they’d need a bit more space for the changeable mission bay/RHIB store. Also it would need smoothing over to lower the radar return surface area. Personally I think after they’ve done both of those, it would probably wreck the appearance completely.
@Cam, I have been saying the same thing over and over, copy the hull for the T31 and give it a new stealth superstructure, equipment and weapons fit. I am sure that space could be found for a missions bay.
It’s great to see the RN back out east again, especially permanently basing ships in the area. Hope we can stick a frigate permanently in Singapore too for APAC ops, would be a big signal to our partners in the region and potential partners like Vietnam. And i esp. look forward to seeing a T45 or a T23 in Victoria Harbour soon, too!
Bay of Bengal has so many potential flash points between India, Myanmar (supported by, or as a base for, China) Indonesia v anyone supporting China… Even Singapore and Malaysia have had their little territorial / sealane disputes recently. Havng the ability to privude some comfort to international marine traffic in such key routes will become so important in the future…. Like the old Armilla patrol in the 80s
Yep and a great way to showcase the best of British industry. I’m bored of seeing the “Great Britain” campaign trotted out again and again, I think having a T45 putting in to all the main cities in the region would be much more effective at drumming up foreign trade!
Wonder if the Montrose was in Sri Lanka at the same time in April that the RAN taskforce was in port?
LHD HMAS Canberra http://images.defence.gov.au/20190323adf8540677_025.jpg
Frigates HMAS Parramatta http://images.defence.gov.au/20190324ran8562953_132.jpg and Newcastle
http://images.defence.gov.au/20190326adf8540677_202.jpg
Oiler HMAS Success http://images.defence.gov.au/20190324ran8112562_021.jpg
The RAN conducted manoeuvres with the Sri Lankans http://images.defence.gov.au/20190330ran8586550_448.jpg
Trained with their divers http://images.defence.gov.au/20190325ran8562953_426.jpg
Did a spot of defence industry promotion http://images.defence.gov.au/20190328adf8581277_012.jpg
Helped clean up the local beaches
http://images.defence.gov.au/20190324adf8540677_013.jpg
Even brought our own band http://images.defence.gov.au/20190328adf8581277_138.jpg
Welcome to the party.
I don’t know if we will see a British ship in Hong Kong too often, with the anti communist and pro British sentiments that currently run through the territory. Maybe not pro British, but pro anything but Chinese! Particularly with the British!
True but they don’t seem to mind US ships pulling in for a bit of R&R down Wanchai!
A place the RN used to know VERY well!
Time to reestablish the East Indies station at Trincomalee!