Somerset sails to the Gulf ready to rise to any challenge
9 January 2014
HMS Somerset became the first Royal Navy warship of 2014 to deploy, slipping out of Plymouth today bound for a six-month stint in the Middle East.
The frigate will take over from her fellow Devonport native and sister HMS Montrose as the UK’s ‘Gulf guardian’, upholding a mission going back more than 30 years.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Ben Shread, HMS Somerset
WELL, that’s our last sight of Smeaton’s Tower for six months.
A smile from one of HMS Somerset’s upper deck gunnery/force protection team as the frigate becomes the first Royal Navy vessel of 2014 to head out from home on operations aboard.
The warship departed Plymouth this morning to take over from her Devonport-based sister HMS Montrose as our ‘Gulf guardian’, patrolling the waters from Hormuz to the shores of Kuwait and Iraq, working with Britain’s partners in the regions.
With the sun occasionally peeking between the ominous clouds over Plymouth Sound, ‘the West Country’s favourite warship’ (as Somerset proclaims herself) was waved off in the traditional fashion by friends and family positioned at Devil’s Point.
The crew of 215 men and women will not return to the UK until summer 2014 (and hopefully less wet weather…), after completing varied operational tasking in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and the Gulf.
Many of the crew are deploying from the UK for the first time, among them Sub Lt Phoebe Coutts.
“Serving on a fully-operational warship, on an operational deployment is what everyone joins the Royal Navy to do.
“I am particularly excited by the opportunities to broaden my experience and understanding in the next few months.’
It’s the first deployment too for the new-look frigate, which emerged from a major revamp 12 months ago and spent 2013 working assiduously to be ready for the current mission.
Guiding the frigate all the way down that long – and occasionally winding – road was CO Cdr Mike Smith (pictured above), now delighted to lead his men and women on the front line.
“I am very proud to be commanding one of the Royal Navy’s most capable warships as we leave the UK today.
“I have every confidence that HMS Somerset will succeed on any operational mission we are given, wherever we are needed, over the next six months. My ship’s company are ready to meet any challenge.”
HMS Somerset sails to the Gulf ready to rise to any challenge