Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan got underway from naval base Portsmouth on December 8 to start her deployment to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and the Royal Navy’s operation Kipion tasking.
HMS Duncan is the first Royal Navy destroyer to deploy in 2018.
The remaining five destroyers in service with the Royal Navy are all in Portsmouth for maintenance or repair works.
Duncan and her crew are rejoining SNMG2 after concluding a stint as mission flagship in 2017. HMS Duncan was relieved as SNMG2 flagship in September 2017.
Farewell and safe travels to @HMS_Duncan Leaving #Portsmouth on deployment this morning. Naval families wave to their loved ones from the Round Tower.
@RoyalNavy @NavyLookout @VAdmJWoodcock @RAdmPaulHalton @PortsmthNewsHub @The_NFF @StephenMorganMP @DonnaPCC @TeamRN1 pic.twitter.com/YoUTAbHVEp
— Proud of Portsmouth (@PortsmouthProud) January 8, 2018
Operation Kippion
HMS Duncan is also set to perform tasks as part of operation Kipion which means the destroyer will transit the Suez Canal to represent the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
This task was scheduled to be carried out by Duncan’s sister ship HMS Diamond but Diamond was forced to depart the Persian Gulf after experiencing propeller problems. Diamond started her deployment in September 2017 and was not expected to return home before May 2018.
Diamond’s propeller issues are not connected to the engine problems previously experienced by Type 45 destroyers while operating in the warmer waters of the gulf.
HMS Duncan was commissioned in September 2013 as the final of six Type 45 destroyers. The ship is armed with the highly sophisticated Sea Viper missile system able to track and engage several aircraft and missile targets at very high speed.