Royal Navy Ice Patrol Ship HMS Protector has visited the tropical British Territory of Diego Garcia, whilst en route to the Antarctic.
This is the first visit for HMS Protector to Diego Garcia and she is the first visit by a Royal Navy Surface ship to visit the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 8 years.
During the visit, Remembrance Sunday ceremonies were conducted both on board and ashore.
Commanding Officer Captain Rory Bryan, Executive Officer Commander Fox and Executive Warrant Officer WO1 Tompkins RM stepped ashore to be hosted by Commander British Forces (Commander Edward Lees) for a combined UK and US ceremony with Captain Craig Snyder USN and many of his team, whilst the rest of the Ship’s Company conducted a single service onboard.
HMS Protector is a Royal Navy ice patrol ship built in Norway in 2001. As MV Polarbjørn (Norwegian: polar bear) she operated under charter as a polar research icebreaker and a subsea support vessel. In 2011, she was chartered as a temporary replacement for the ice patrol ship, HMS Endurance and was purchased outright by the British Ministry of Defence in September 2013.
This month, HMS Protector heads to Australasia.
