Thousands of sailors and Royal Marines stand ready to keep Britain safe this Christmas, from the land of the Rising Sun to the frozen Arctic and grey Atlantic. More than 3,500 Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Marines and Fleet Air Arm personnel are either on duty or at short notice to respond to events at home and abroad over the festive period. Nearly 1,300 men and women across eight ships – frigate HMS Montrose, destroyer HMS Defender, minehunters HMS Ledbury, HMS Blyth, HMS Shoreham and HMS Brocklesby, and RFAs Cardigan Bay and Wave Knight – are keeping shipping safe and ensuring the free flow of trade in the Gulf and Indian Ocean.
Survey ship HMS Enterprise is taking a break from gathering data about the waters of the Asia-Pacific region, where she’s been for much of the autumn, by visiting South Korea.
After an autumn on-call to respond to natural disasters, including ten days assisting in the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, RFA Mounts Bay remains in the Caribbean, preparing for her winter role – supporting the international fight against drug trafficking.
HMS Forth will spend her first Christmas in the South Atlantic as she takes up the role of the Royal Navy’s permanent presence around the Falklands from HMS Clyde, which retired from service today after 12 years based in the remote British territory.
Forth is joined in the southern hemisphere by survey ship HMS Scott, which is mapping the waters of the South Atlantic and is due to head to Antarctica in the New Year on a scientific mission.
With 49 people aboard, Scott will be at anchor off the Falklands on December 25.
“This will be the first Christmas at sea for at least half of the ship’s company,” said Lieutenant Pippa Wesley, one of Scott’s hydrographic survey officers.
“We’ll receive a forces’ gift tin each and all have a Christmas dinner served by the officers in the wardroom.”
As there has been continuously for 50 years, one submarine is carrying out Defence’s number one mission: the nuclear deterrent patrol.
December 25 will be a day like any other for the 130 men and women aboard the Vanguard-class submarine, submerged, cut off from the world, working six-hour shifts.
All these missions, as well as operations in home waters and the UK’s immediate sphere of interest, demand the support of more than 3,000 Naval Service personnel in Britain, from bomb disposal experts to naval nurses, doctors and surgeons working in NHS hospitals such as Derriford in Plymouth and Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth.
HMS Westminster is the UK’s on-call frigate this festive period, her 200-strong ship’s company reconciled – like their colleagues in the South Atlantic, Gulf and Far East – to being away from home on December 25.
Operations allowing, they will mark Christmas Day in the traditional naval manner – opening presents, dinner served by officers, the most junior sailor aboard ‘put in charge’ for the day and phone calls home to speak to loved ones.
Britain’s most senior sailor, First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, said the Naval Service had “delivered in spades all over the world” this year.
“Thank you to all for what has been achieved this year – 2019 really has been remarkable. And thank you to the families and friends who support us,” he said.
“For those on duty – keep us safe and thanks for your – and your families’ – sacrifice.”
Royal Navy destroyer lands £3.3m crystal meth haul in Middle East drugs bust
Sailors and Royal Marines have dealt a pre-Christmas blow to terrorists with a £3.3m drugs bust in the Middle East.
The crew of destroyer HMS Defender pounced on a suspicious dhow as they swept the northern Arabian Sea for smugglers and traffickers.
A day-long search by the Portsmouth-based warship’s boarding teams ended in success with 11 bags of crystal meth discovered – worth an estimated £3.3m had they made it to the streets of the UK.
HMS Defender’s success came thanks to the alertness of her helicopter crew during a dawn patrol over the northern Arabian Sea.
Their Wildcat located a solo dhow not flying any flag or showing any evidence that it was carrying out any fishing.
That prompted the destroyer to investigate, sending Royal Marines across in sea boats to secure the dhow and its crew, and Royal Navy sailors to conduct a thorough search of the vessel while the Wildcat hovered overhead to provide protection.
The sailors located 11 mail-bag-sized sacks, some weighing up to 15-20 kilograms and suspected of containing crystal methamphetamines. The total haul was 131kg.
“After all the training and preparation, it was fantastic to have the opportunity to demonstrate our capability with a successful boarding. It’s the best Christmas present we could hope for,” said Lieutenant Ben Clink, the officer in charge of the Royal Marines detachment aboard Defender.
The destroyer’s Commanding Officer, Commander Richard Hewitt, added: “I am really proud that HMS Defender has been able to interdict such a significant quantity of drugs and prevent it reaching the UK streets.
“It goes to show that even over the festive season, the Royal Navy is at sea 24/7 protecting the UK’s interests. This has been a real boost for the ship’s company as they face Christmas away from their loved ones.”
HMS Defender has been deployed to the Middle East since August, devoting the bulk of her time to safeguarding merchant shipping entering and leaving the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
Most recently she’s joined an international task force dedicated to stopping terrorists smuggling arms, people or drugs in the Indian Ocean. Proceeds from the sale of these drugs is known to fund organised crime and terrorism.
Earlier this year HMS Defender’s sister HMS Dragon notched up a record eight busts operating with Combined Task Force 150, while most recently frigate HMS Montrose – on patrol in the Gulf over the Christmas period – bagged more than £1m of illegal narcotics in joint bust with the French Navy in October.
HMS Defender is one of more than a dozen British warships, submarines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary support vessels on duty over the Christmas period.