More than 200 ships a month, some carrying oil, gas, cars, food and consumer goods, have been escorted through Middle Eastern hotspots.
The Royal Navy say here that Operation Sentinel draws on the military assets and expertise of eight nations to deter state-sponsored threats to the security at the ‘choke points’ of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-al-Mandeb at the foot of the Red Sea.
“Should either become blocked or unsafe for merchant shipping the impact on the UK alone – which relies on regular supplies of liquid natural gas from the Gulf for example – would be severe.
The task group uses a combination of small and major warships from the participating navies – including the Royal Navy’s Bahrain-based frigate HMS Montrose – to monitor daily goings-on and watch over shipping, particularly merchantmen flying the flags of the eight nation’s committed to Operation Sentinel’s parent body, the International Maritime Security Construct: UK, US, Albania, Bahrain, Estonia, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition, maritime patrol aircraft and task force helicopters have flown more than 3,300 hour of patrols – more than 19 weeks in the air – keeping a close eye on activity below.”
Cdre Mackinnon was quoted here as saying:
“Whether afloat or ashore, I have always been incredibly fortunate to find myself working alongside the very best people our respective nations have to offer. Be they UK nationals or Coalition partners; regulars or reservists; military or civilian, I have always found people to be the commander’s single most important capability, and ultimately it is good people that deliver good operational outcomes.”
Valuable work, in a varying risk, unpredictable environment.
When the 23s go will OPVs take the reign until 26s are fully operational just wondering OPVs don’t really put the bejesus in weaponry too any would be hijacker or Revolutionary guard commander In the vicinity of the Straits?
Really? 2k ton vessels, mini guns, 30mm cannon, and gpmgs? Not to mention the soldiers aboard, coupled with larger British ships at Duqm. Hmmm
I was only asking as I’ve seen what aboghammer can do when a ship is not in a Crocodile Frigates and Destroyers with flight embarked certainly put the dampers on that little tactic Robert
Nah, it’s perfect work for Type 31 that can also support the LSG (S) when it’s deployed to Oman.
I think they said in the IR all the 31s will be heading out to the Far East so they should have a great time with the OPVs.
I think they said they’d be forward deployed, replacing the current tasking of the batch 2’s. I took that to mean at least two, possibly three based out of Oman as that’s where the LSG{S) is going to be based and will need naval escorts if it’s ever going to be used en-mass. That’s assuming that the 31’s get a decent enough weapons fit of course. I would expect a couple or three 32’s would join them in due course, depending on what they end up looking like, but my guess would be another ‘light frigate’ type design but more… Read more »
This work is essential for the defence of UK and European trade routes. The middle East accounts for 40% of China’s oil imports. They have just been halted in their ambitions to build a military base in secret.
https://www.wionews.com/world/china-halts-work-on-military-base-in-uae-after-us-intervention-report-430975
A T31 would be the minimum replacement for Montrose.
Montrose will be replaced by another T23 . Another T23 with a red rose!
Nice picture. USCG cutter…one of the old ones now being replaced by a far larger and more capable design. This is the type that has just seen 2 of them delivered to Ukraine.
Montrose has recently finished a 4 week maintenance period alongside . She is now back doing her tasking with maintenance up to date and defects fixed.
Wonder how much this costs?
Once again our ‘Royal Navy’ are proudly flying the ‘White Ensign ‘ so as to ensure the freedoms that their fellow ‘Shipmates’that gave their lives before them in times of conflicts past ,are always remembered ‘In Which We Serve’