Sister survey ships HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise have held a brief rendezvous in the Mediterranean to allow for a transfer of stores before going their opposite ways.
The Plymouth-based ships have both had a busy few months – with HMS Echo spearheading the UK’s contribution to the search for the missing Malaysia flight MH370 while Enterprise evacuated 200 UK citizens from Tripoli several weeks previously.
The pair met up as HMS Echo passed through the Suez Canal to begin the final leg of her 18 month deployment which, as well as assisting with the high profile disappearance, has included surveying the Gulf and Indian ocean.
As part of the Operation Dragoon anniversary, the three Royal Navy vessels will join more than 20 ships and aircraft from a host of nations to support the event along with a French Navy Fleet Review on August 15.
HMS Enterprise deployed earlier in the summer to continue with the survey work East of Suez but was retasked with evacuating British personnel from Libya, which has become increasingly unstable.
She sailed twice to Tripoli and back to Valetta in Malta carrying just over 200 passengers – many of which were children – so that they could fly on from the Mediterranean island. HMS Enterprise will now take up her former tasking.