Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland has returned to her home port of Devonport following a seven-month deployment to the other side of the world.
HMS Sutherland set sail from Plymouth in January visiting Australia and the Asia Pacific, demonstrating the UK’s commitment to peace and security in the Asia Pacific region, as well as wider support to British industry say the Ministry of Defence.
The ship carried out exercises with the Royal Australian and Royal New Zealand Navies. The vessel also conducted exercises with ships from the US Navy Seventh Fleet and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, before a two week maintenance period at Yokosuka Naval Base.
“HMS Sutherland strengthened international relations in the Asia Pacific region with visits to the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia before operating as part of a multination coalition in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Aden region, conducting counter piracy and trafficking activity. The ship also provided escort duties to HM Ships Bangor and Middleton.
Over the course of the deployment HMS Sutherland used her Wildcat helicopter as the eyes and ears of the ship, utilising its sensors to build the ship’s maritime picture.”
The CO of 815 Naval Air Squadron, Commander Jamieson Stride said:
“I am delighted to welcome home 211 Flight and their mighty Wildcat after a hugely successful deployment. Having operated as far afield as Australia and almost everywhere in between there and the UK, they have been blazing a trail for the Wildcat, operating in new areas for the aircraft and impressing operational commanders everywhere they went.
I would like to thank their families for their unstinting support during this deployment. Being apart from your loved ones for seven months is incredibly tough and their loyalty and devotion has been much needed.”
The ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Andrew Canale, said:
“We’ve had an incredibly varied deployment and as the first ship to deploy to the Asia Pacific region for some years we have gained a lot of experience about operating in the area.
As we head for home we are now very much looking forward to being reunited with our families and friends who have given us unstinting support during our deployment.”
While I’m aware it’s overly optimistic to think it will ever happen, it would be fantastic if one of the Type 23s was preserved after decommissioning. As it currently stands, we have preserved warships from almost every major period in the Royal Navy’s history, from the remains of the Mary Rose and HMS Victory, through to HMS Caroline and Belfast representing the world wars. An exhibition based on a T23 to represent the Cold War fleet would be a fitting memorial to the men and women who served during one of the most tense periods in world history
It would be nice to see.
If/when HMS Bristol leaves service as a static training ship, it would be nice to see her turned over as a museum to the surface fleet of the Falklands War.
That I can’t see happening unfortunately, given how all of her old warfighting equipment is long gone and the navy won’t have a comparably sized ship to replace her until Daring decommissions in the 2030s.
A Falklands display would definitely form a key part of a T23 Cold War museum though, especially as that conflict served to shape the T23 design into its current form.
I know.
But it would still be nice to see.
Good call Callum. An iconic class. Give her another 10 years yet though!