The Type 23 Frigate encountered the 150,000-tonne ocean liner while conducting routine operations in the Gulf, say the Royal Navy.
HMS Montrose, as part of her routine duties, often escorts British merchant vessels through the Gulf after the seizing of the Stena Impero last year.
Aside from the Stena Impero incident when the vessel was seized by Iranian forces, the MoD said last year that Montrose alone was responsible for ensuring 60 British ships – carrying more than five million tonnes of oil, liquid natural gas, cars and other commodities – reached their destinations safely.
According to a news release:
“The frigate encountered the 150,000-tonne ocean liner while conducting routine operations in the Gulf and the while the Queen Mary 2 was on the latest leg of a 113-day round-the-world cruise which began and will end in New York and will continued via the Gulf to Sri Lanka, and beyond. Queen Mary 2 boasts 15 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, ballroom, theatre, and the even a planetarium serving 2,700 passengers, whose needs are met by 1,300 crew.
She is two and a half times the length of Montrose but what the frigate lacks in swimming pools, casinos, ballrooms, and theatres… she more than makes up with a state-of-the-art helicopter capable of tracking around 200 contacts simultaneously, anti-ship and anti-air missiles, and a 4.5 inch naval gun, plus she bristles with cutting-edge sensors – all in the hands of around 200 sailors and Royal Marines.”
The Royal Navy say that HMS Montrose is permanently deployed to the UK’s Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and run by two crews – one aboard, one back in Britain enjoying leave/undergoing training – allowing the Royal Navy to maintain a forward presence in the Middle East, rather than repeatedly deploying/bringing home a frigate to and from the region.
I like the way the statement says,”encountered”, as if Montrose came upon the QM2 by chance! Can you image the hassle if QM2 were taken or fired on by anyone, especially as she sailed from New York?
Nice photos as well.
Great shot, yes. But still a questionable decision to sail this ship in these waters at this time.
Why? She is a huge ship. Easily able to cruise away from danger. Unlikely to be boarded, unless by helicopter. Thus an air defence missile equipped frigate nearby means RMS Queen Mary is safe.
A fast boat such as the Iranians operate, with rockets & HMG could easily stop her & do whatever they want. No cruise liner captain is going to risk his ship, passengers or crew. Hence the necessity of RN escort.
I do agree that it would be better if she was kept out of the danger zone. I expect the Gulf states have the clout to ensure vists there though. They have plenty of good fast missile boats & aircraft which could also escort ships too.
Agreed UK tax payer should not pick up the bill for such a risky route. If gulf states want it to visit, they should provide the protection.
Was Queen Mary 2 actually cruising with passengers? Cruise lines are happy to delete ports in the Caribbean at the drop of a hat yet the Gulf remains open – very strange. Money talks I guess.
Madness to sail or cruise this ship in these waters at this time.
Are the government still allowed to commandeer liners as they did in WW2?
Having one of these as a hospital ship would be pretty impressive as I have a feeling it’d be quite easy to refit restaurants into operating theatres and maybe create a space for helicopter landing?
Well they did during the Falklands I seem to remember
Pretty sure they can – ‘Ships taken up from trade’. Hmmm….. that’s ‘STUFT’. Not sure I like that. Nearly as bad as Stuart Hall International Travel’
That’s a bit bloody rum…the ship is big enough to accommodate the entire British Army!
Lol ? yes the British Army if comrade Corbyn had ever tasted power, 2695 passenger capacity wee bit small
Reductions in military strength lie firmly in the province of our glorious twat box Conservative governments ….not opposition leaders…:)
Agree…Cameron and Osborne are guilty of destroying vast swaths of our defence capability….
Somehow the UK could afford 179000 armed forces before the insufficiently damned Cameron and Osborne instituted their defense “review”.
In the late 1970’s the UK was just coming out of the 3 day week, but with the rest of the world was just entering another oil crisis after the fall of the Shah of Iran. Economic shambles. We had, as best as I can remember, the ability to field about 500,000 on mobilisation!! Regular Army was ~160,000 Territorial Army ~ 60,000 Plus a regular reserve (ex-regulars with an on-going commitment) Navy regulars ~ >60,000 Air Force ~ > 80,000 I can’t remember the reserve numbers for the Air Forcce and Navy, but seem to remember adding all up to… Read more »
No but Wembley can, and that’s shocking, it can hold the entire british army and still have thousands spare seats maybe over 10,000
They allready RFA ARGUS an old but very capable casualty evacuation/hospital ship with something like 130 bed hospital with all associated equipment.
she also has a large helicopter capability
I only hope that the QMII doesn’t run into RN ships like the old QM. We don’t have enogh if she does.
We have enough anyhow
We haven’t the man power for the fleet we have, sort that then definitely more ships
Reading that Type 31 now slipped to 2027!!
Funding?
https://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/209450/type-31-frigate-program-slips-as-mod-reviews-options-on-fss.html
Just for clarity: QM2’s displacement is about 80,000 tonnes. The higher number is its gross tonnage, a measure of volume not weight.
Double the weight on Hms Qe.