Another UK’s Type 23 frigate heads to Middle East

Royal Navy warship, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond is Gulf-bound to support the international effort protecting shipping.

The frigate will stand in for HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster when either vessel needs to break off patrols for re-supply or maintenance.

Diamond is assigned to a newly-established international security mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian which was inaugurated last month following a series of drone and missile attacks threatening shipping passing through the Red Sea.

Meanwhile frigate HMS Lancaster is on a long-term mission in the Middle East, largely focused on the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, hunting down drug smugglers and arms traffickers.

When the ship arrives in the region in a few weeks, Richmond will “provide resilience to the UK’s presence in the Gulf,” according to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

If necessary, the frigate will use its Sea Ceptor anti-missile system to protect merchant vessels, as well as provide wider assurance of the presence of a warship.

“It’s a real challenge to quickly shift from the freezing temperatures of the Baltic to the warm waters of the Gulf. However, our ship and crew are well prepared for any eventuality; it’s a very dynamic, quickly- changing situation in the Red Sea at the moment but we are ready and looking forward to doing our bit,” said Lieutenant Jack Tarr, Richmond’s senior Officer of the Watch.