The Royal Navy’s HMS Spey has taken part in a joint operation with Japanese naval forces aimed at enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolutions on North Korea, as the UK continues to demonstrate its commitment to upholding international law in the Indo-Pacific, according to a Royal Navy news update.
Operating in the Sea of Japan, HMS Spey worked alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force to monitor maritime activity suspected of breaching sanctions imposed on the Pyongyang regime. The resolutions target North Korea’s illicit revenue generation and weapons proliferation, and at sea they are enforced through surveillance and interdiction of suspect shipping.
During the patrol, Spey focused on identifying vessels of interest potentially connected to sanction-evading activities, with data passed to United Nations Command. The Royal Navy said this forms part of an ongoing effort to support regional security and uphold the rules-based international order.
Following the patrol, HMS Spey visited Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan. While alongside, the crew hosted a senior delegation including Group Captain Andrew Johnson, Director of United Nations Command – Rear, Rear Admiral Yasutaka Ebata of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, and Captain Mike Fontaine, Commanding Officer of Fleet Activities Sasebo from the US Navy.
The Royal Navy described the engagement as an opportunity to deepen ties with Japanese and American counterparts. Discussions focused on how to enhance operational cooperation and build interoperability between forces in response to shared security challenges.
The visit also included a football match between Spey’s crew and sailors from JMSDF Escort Flotilla 2, which the Japanese team won 4-3, as well as time ashore in Sasebo and Nagasaki for cultural exchange.
In addition to its work on sanctions enforcement, HMS Spey deployed personnel from 148 Battery ashore for Exercise Bersama Shield 2025. This marks a continuation of the patrol ship’s wide-ranging activities during her long-term Indo-Pacific deployment, which has included joint exercises, disaster relief and maritime training missions across the region.
Commander Paul Caddy, HMS Spey’s Commanding Officer, said the ship’s support to United Nations Command had been a privilege and credited regional partners including the US Navy and JMSDF for enabling Royal Navy operations in the area.
“British Navel vessel puts pressure on North Korea”
“Freddie Star ate my Hamster”
“Statue of Elvis found on the Moon”
“There are no virgins in Essex”
It seems the Daily papers style of creative headlines is alive and well in Scotland !!!
shaking in their boots!
One patrol vessel small one at that not even a corvette
If they come really close & hold still a while, we might do a little damage. But then, by that time we’d have been sunk by AShMs etc. If you’re going to put RN vessels in harms way at least send something with the kit to defend itself. Only chance R2s have is if Kim laughs himself to death.
We need more escort warships.
a river PATROL BOAT?!! did it check the size of the fishing nets on local fishing boats while it was there? I hope it seriously affects me Korean fishing industry when our ‘warship’ find out that their nets are illegal. that’s what power projection is about.
It’s a River CLASS offshore patrol vessel circa 2000 tons. That’s a bit big for a boat don’t you think? The class is named after rivers in the UK, they are not designed to patrol rivers any more than the forthcoming T26s are designed to patrol the cities that they are named after.
It is not there to actually frighten or dismay anyone any more than a Russian corvette operating in the English channel is there to actually frighten us.
Honestly, so many commentators on here make me laugh (unintentionally).
On the one hand any activity by the RN abroad is pointless, non effective, doesn’t scare anyone, what a pointless flag showing exercise, where are all the missile, why don’t we have more ships… Etc. etc.
But if a North Korean ship showed up here in the channel those same people will be screaming for us to sink/escort (in equal numbers) it because of the “threat”.
So on the one hand anything we have is weak, toothless, not fit for purpose whilst at the same time every other navies ships are deadly threats to everything we hold dear.
And yes I posted this before most of said comments have actually turned up
a river PATROL BOAT?!! did it check the size of the fishing nets on local fishing boats while it was there?
if a Korean ship did turn up in the channel we’d send another river WARSHIP OUT TO SEND THEM BACK ON THE WAY HOME
No we would allow it passage as per the law of the sea.
Bit repetitive
Spey doing the business.
another mighty British warship putting the fear of god into rocket boys idiot brain.
Ya really think the little fat man is even aware of this?
he’ll be quiking in his little booties
probably hasn’t been told
Must agree with redshift here good people ,we would all like more ships but at least our lads and lasses are there for us.
Stupid headline, pointless mission, not really sure why we are wasting fuel prowling around the worlds oceans, this is the 21st century not the 19th, I presume the MOD have calendars? Or can read?
Tell that to neo-colonial Russia or China.
leave it to the Donald, we have enough problems closer to home including that @@@@
I wouldn’t trust Donald to run a bath. Fortunately N Korea has S Korea & Japan on their doorstep who have far more capable forces unaffected by post cold war disarmament.
ii north Korea’s case a armed forces held together with outdated and useless cold war Russian rubbish.
If the west departs the stage, our enemies move into the vacuum.
We need to be out there, including Grey Zone.
Sitting at Dover will not help us, or western Europe.
Excellent comment. The real reason these value for money ships are out there.
AA
lout there with what?
A big like your comment then.
if it involves the UN you know in terms of international justice it’s meaningless
ii north Korea’s case a armed forces held together with outdated and useless cold war Russian rubbish.
Lol no they really didn’t.
North Korea has little to fear from the UK trying to make it appear that it has any relevance.
Japan owes north Korea a debt of gratitude for keeping Godzilla at bay for so long l.
Another pointless task for the RN – I doubt if North Korea actually knew they were there – or did someone send a post-card so they would not miss us.
According to the express Spey is a battleship so do you naysayers want her to approach the NK cost and open fire with A,B,X &Y turrets?
For gods sake she is there to fly the flag and show support for the allies in that area! Get a grip🤬