The Ship, nearing completion, is still technically the property of BAE Systems until July 12 but as the finishing touches are added Commander Nash has joined to Command her entry into the Fleet and the operational commitments that lie ahead.
Commander Nicholas Boyd , the Senior Naval Officer until now, was there to hand over the reigns to Commander Nash – a tough thing to do for the first member of the Ship’s company and a man who has been overseeing the ship from before its launch on 21 October 2009.
Commander Nash said:
“ It is an honour and a privilege to assume Command of HMS Defender today. I would like to thank my Ships Company and the T45 shipbuilding community for their work to date as I look forward now to taking Defender forward through acceptance, stage 2 trials and into service as an operational warship ”.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , May 04, 2012; Image: royalnavy