HMS Middleton, a Royal Navy minehunter currently deployed in the Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Kipion, has unveiled a striking new paint job featuring the Union Jack.
The tweet from HMS Middleton showcased the view from a cherry picker, providing a bird’s-eye perspective of the ship’s deck adorned with the Union Jack design.
The tweet playfully suggested that the new paint scheme is even more impressive than that of fellow Royal Navy vessel HMS Tamar, stating: “We think it’s better than @HMS_Tamar… 🖌️”
A Cherry Picker view of our Ship! Check out our cool paint scheme as well on the top of the bride Bridge 🇬🇧
We think it’s better than @HMS_Tamer… 🖌️
#ViewFromTheTop #RoyalNavy #OpKipion pic.twitter.com/0VrwmbDwQ9— HMS Middleton (@HMSMiddleton) August 15, 2024
HMS Middleton is part of the Royal Navy’s long-standing commitment to maintaining a maritime presence in the Gulf region under Operation Kipion. The mission focuses on ensuring the security of vital shipping lanes and contributing to the stability of the region.
The new Union Jack paint job adds a touch of pride and patriotism to the ship’s appearance, and the crew seems to be enjoying the fresh look. Their tweet also adds a bit of friendly rivalry with HMS Tamar, always fun to see.
HMS Middleton uses advanced sonar, remote underwater vehicles, and a team of divers to find and deal with threats on the sea bed. This work is important for keeping sea lanes open and safe, ensuring access to key areas, and protecting global energy supplies. HMS Middleton helps make sure the seas are safe for both commercial and military ships.
Last year also saw the ship celebrate her 40th year. Most warships have a lifespan of 25-30 years, but thanks to their fibre-glass hulls, minehunters can last much longer – as long as the kit aboard is maintained to the highest standard, refitted, and replaced to move with the times… which it is. Middleton was the first Hunt-class ship to be fitted with Oceanographic Reconnaissance Combat Architecture (ORCA), allowing the ship to classify underwater contacts from a greater distance than was previously possible.
Coupled with her 2193 Sonar, SeaFox Mine Disposal System, and highly-trained mine clearance divers, she remains at the leading edge of mine warfare. With changes on the horizon, as the Royal Navy shifts to more autonomous minehunting systems, HMS Middleton still plays a vital role in these efforts.
Nothing new for that part of the world, the ships undertaking the Armilla Patrol back in the ’80s & ’90s sported the same on their Bridges as well
Hi Jez. Still, a wonderful way to do high visibility when needed! My passion and very long time hobby and occupation as a Flag retailer, designer and writer of articles for newspapers and Flag societies draws my attention to flags in the Media. Over the last months we have noted three horror stories. First the GB Ladies Coxless(!) Fours holding a Union Jack which was sewn Upside Down i.e the toggle was top at the hoist so could not be flown from a flagpole the right way up! Second, a flag of St Helena which basically is a British Blue… Read more »
Hi Geoff, do you know (of) Sheldon Cooper at all?
Hello Ian. I don’t know the name-is he in SA?
He was a character from the Big Bang theory, as well as being a theoretical physicist he was also a flag obsessive!
ps Is he the character from The Big Bang Theory? If that is he, I have never watched that show nor Two and a Half Men😉 so pleasegive me some context as I honestly don’t understand the comment-call me naive Ian!
Hello Naive 😀
He hosts a podcast called “Fun with Flags” with his girlfriend Amy (only in the Big Bang Universe of course -although I’ve never checked)..
He’s an arrogant , self obsessed child genius now physicist, and the series follows him and his nerd science mates- inc. failed interactions with females.
There is a perhaps funnier prequel which shows his early years with his family in Texas called Yound Sheldon
I’d recommend the earlier series’s’s’s’s in both arcs for a look over- as there are some ‘funny bits’
The later ones become formulaic American fodder fodder (esp Big Bang)
Hi Geoff, yes, I was being a bit tongue in cheek. As other posters have said he was a Big Bang character who loved flags.
Cheers
Ian
Thank you Ian, Grizzler, Nick!😂 I was exposed to flags at a very early age in Northern Ireland so I suppose in the Nature/ Nurture process the Nurture bit caused the indelible stamp on my character😄
Cheers from Durban
🤣🤣🤣 well played Sir🤣🤣🤣
Takes a small bow…..
🤓
Ah… In this pic my work place is 200 astern of Mids in the US Base. Between Mids stern and the US Navy base fence is HMS Bangor…😉 Look closely in the distance. Ex USN PC boats now in BDF service. 40+ years old, Vospers design. I’ve done a lot of work on those putting new steel plate into them, engine changes. upgrades to systems. Also look and see that fwd of the PC’s are some angled rectangular boxes. That will be the patriot battery protecting the Base. There are also some anti drone soft and hard kill vehicles with… Read more »
Do you work from the blue shed?
Nah… That’s GAC who are shipping agents. FSU worked out of there before UK NSF was a thing.
The building works to the right of the jetty is a swimming pool they are doing.
Hi GB. Thanks for as always, the news from the front line.
Well that’s one way to show the Flag .Can’t put them up in our Neighbourhood or town’s etc HMS is fine 😀 🇬🇧
Its the UNION Flag as the ‘Jack’ is the staff on the forward bow that carries the Flag. So wish people would get it RIGHT. 😠
Hi Angus. The Naval protocol has some strong adherents but read up on that Jack vs Flag story on the Flag Institute site or Wiki. The thinking has changed somewhat. Regards from South Africa
Always thought the artwork on the bow of HMS Dragon was classy. Is there a RN policy on such painting on ships?
Policy is that if it costs 200k they put it on the bow…
Isn’t this considered racist these days?
If you a operator of commercial shipping and you wish to sail these waters Then you have a simple choice Run the gauntlet or Re crew and / or With Chinese sailors or under the Chinese flag If so then you are automatically guaranteed safe passage both by the Houthis and Iran Go check the International register of shipping and check how many Chinese vessels sailed through the Suez canal As of 1/1/24 and compare to how many in the last week Me thinks the Chinese flag offers far superior safe passage than a Union Jack or the Stars and… Read more »
Does this mean the Royal Navy are ” far right thugs” ?