The crew of HMS Sutherland have officially moved onboard and taken charge of the ship after completing the handover process from Babcock after a refit, according to a recent update from the Royal Navy frigate’s official Twitter account.
The milestone marks a significant achievement for HMS Sutherland, affectionately known as the ‘Fighting Clan,’ after extensive work on the ship by Babcock.
Taking control of the ship signals that the crew can now focus on further preparations and training to ready HMS Sutherland for getting back to sea.
Ship Staff Move Onboard complete ✅️
We have officially taken care and protection of the Fighting Clan from our partners in @Babcockplc. This milestone was achieved through a combination of hardwork, teamwork and determination by all #FightingClan #F81 #Babcock #Teamwork pic.twitter.com/iGNJzi5zNe— HMS SUTHERLAND (@HMSSutherland) September 11, 2024
HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 Duke-class frigate in the Royal Navy, primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare. Launched in 1996, she is the thirteenth ship in her class and the third to carry the name Sutherland, over 200 years since the name was last used. At her launch, Lady Christina Walmsley, breaking with Royal Navy tradition, used a bottle of Macallan Scotch whisky instead of champagne.
In 2017, HMS Sutherland was the first vessel to escort the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth during its sea trials. The following year, the frigate was deployed to the Pacific Ocean, where she participated in operations aimed at maintaining pressure on North Korea and asserting navigation rights in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
HMS Sutherland has also been involved in weaponry testing. In early 2019, the ship was used to test the integration of the Martlet Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) and a 30 mm cannon. These tests were conducted at the Aberporth range in Wales and demonstrated the ship’s capability to engage smaller targets, adding to its operational versatility.
The ship entered her long-term refit in April 2021, including upgrades such as installing Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missiles and other system improvements. In March 2024, HMS Sutherland was removed from dry dock, with post-refit sea trials expected to commence later in the year.
Why no NSM on Sutherland then?
Probably too new of a platform given entering refit in 2021, We only selected NSM in 2022 I think
Quite.
Why fiddle with a difficult and expensive refit part way through if you want to get her back into service.
Also #1 still hasn’t been tested.
Only five Type 23s are slated to get NSM (alongside the 6 x Type 45s). Somerset was the first and I’ve read Portland is next in line. Not sure which of the remaining Type 23s will get the other three ship sets. It’s possible Sutherland isn’t one of them.
I know Iron Duke getting hers next year
Good news that we’ll have another Type 23 at sea, albeit on trials, then FOST Was any provision.made to fit NSM during the refit?
I see that the HMS Sutherland X site refers to their personnel as ‘Ship Staff’. How very modern…and too civvvified for me.
I preferred the terms ‘Ship’s Company’, ‘crew’ or ‘Ship’s complement’
Agree
Ships ‘company’ way too capitalist, ‘complement’ is to positive for a war fighting ship, crew comes from the old French word creue which means reinforcement so way to military and threatening. 😂. On a serious note I’m sure there no one in Whitehall doing this sort of analysis so naming doesn’t offend certain groups that would just be ridiculous and a waste of money.
A bugbear for me and I’d suggest people like Daniele is that too much money is spent on diversity and inclusion in the military; wiki the head shed and cone down through the ranks to how many posts are filled in that niche ‘capability.’
Apparently D&I is vital to ensure innovation and maintaining a competitive edge. This argument is trotted out regularly by supporters of D&I but little supporting evidence is ever offered to justify the claim.
Did HMS Sutherland receive the PGMU Mod while in refit? Consider that to be the most useful signal of RN intent to maintain ship in the fleet for extended period. May correlate w/ NSM installation. 🤔
Yes, I think she has received PGMU.
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One of 4 I think. The RN has successfully navigated the shallows – the low point in escort numbers. We need to be patient. It’s not long now until both T26 and T31 enter service.
Yeh, Naval News were reporting in April this year that HMS Glasgow will start sea trials in early 2026 – so may be mid 2026..? So two years hence. Given she was laid down in 2017 that’s no time at all… Has it really been that long..? Damn I feel old.
Cheers CR
Close run thing with the T23 Lifex program – 5 frigates down. We have been fortunate to have had the Rivers. We have also turned the corner with T45. A lot of hard work has gone in to turn an embarrassing ugly duckling into a beautiful and well armed swan 🙂
“It has been a damned nice thing–the nearest run thing you ever saw.” (Duke of Wellington, 18 Jun 1815) Apparently, a recurring theme of British defence policy, or perhaps simply the latest iteration of a “just in time” philosophy? 🤔😉😁🇬🇧
It’s a national characteristic. We are addicted to crises. We engineer them just so we can prove to ourselves how good we are at getting out if them 🙂
As Paul says we like crises and given the way in which the geopolitical situation is developing, boy are we cooking up a biggie this time…
IF we can get out of this one I’ll be beyond impressed and if I’m still around to brag about it I’ll only be too pleased to bore you silly about British ingenuity…
Cheers CR
Ugly duckling… I like it! The T45 always had an impressive air defence system, but now that it’s propulsion system is being sorted, CAMM and NSM to be fitted soon as well and you have a pretty reasonable piece kit… As you say lucky to have the Rivers. Expensive they may have been but they are delivering in service. If the T26 and T31 deliver as well then the future looks OK for the RN. I just think we need much more than we are procuring, given the way the geopolitical situation is developing. Both sides are slowly upping the… Read more »
The use we are getting out of the Rivers is the reward for the RN taking a pragmatic stance with BAE when there was the contract kerfuffle; expensive perhaps from a pure accounting point of view but priceless in terms of rebuilding skills for T26 construction, which seems to be on schedule. It looks as if T31 builds were started before some aspects of the design were finalised. There’s been an RN contingent on board Venturer since July 23 so hopefully we will get a good frigate.
Agree with your point about the benefits of the Rivers. Rebuilding engineering skills takes years and then can only be achieved if there is something for said engineers to do..! It is something I bang on about on here a lot. 15 years to train and gain experience for a professional design engineer, 10 years easily for a skilled engineering worker and that is just for starters. You never stop learning because engineering never stops moving forward. Compare Leander Class with T26, both built in my lifetime..! Sopwith Camel (1917) to De Haviland Comet (1952), also one lifetime..! As for… Read more »
Yes, certainly she did!
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