Four of the Royal Navy’s P2000 fast patrol boats – HMS Pursuer, Express, Puncher and Dasher – have completed joint exercises with the Estonian Navy in the Gulf of Finland.
The four vessels were placed under Estonian command to test the ability of both navies to work seamlessly together. The link-up comes with tensions in the region, particularly high following the recent incursion by three armed Russian MiG fighters into Estonian/NATO airspace just a fortnight ago.
Major Steven Maguire , the UK’s deputy defence attaché in Tallinn, said the joint naval exercise underlined the UK’s ongoing support for Estonia, wider regional security, and international alliances.
Spread across a vast area (Norway, Latvia, Finland and the eastern Baltic) and embracing operations by land, sea and air and spanning September until the end of this month, Exercise Tarassis is the most ambitious live activity by the Joint Expeditionary Force since it was established over a decade ago, according to the navy.
JEF is formed by a coalition of nations committed to the safety, security and prosperity of northern European waters, in particular the Scandinavian-Baltic region.
The four P2000s, which typically don’t spend more than a day at sea at a time, have travelled more than 1,500 miles so far since leaving their home bases to participate in Tarassis.
“It was great to operate alongside the EML Ugandi and meet the ship’s company today. In so doing, we demonstrated the UK’s resolve to support our NATO allies,” said Lieutenant Edward Winter , HMS Express’ Commanding Officer.
In recent news, the Royal Navy declared the initial operating capability for the anti-ship Sea Venom missile, meaning it can now be deployed with Wildcat helicopters on front-line duties. IOC was achieved during Operation Highmast – the Royal Navy’s global mission to the Indo-Pacific led by flagship HMS Prince of Wales.