MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
HMS Portland begins her Atlantic deployment visiting England's centuries old ally Portugal
Commander Sarah West followed the tradition of nailing a brass plaque bearing the ship’s name onto a barrel of rum HMS Portland has called into the Portuguese capital, the first stop of her Atlantic deployment that will take her to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia.
During the visit the Commanding Officer participated in a traditional ceremony to celebrate the United Kingdom’s enduring friendship with Portugal, the ship also hosted a visit by senior NATO officers, and the football team enjoyed a match against the Lisbon Crusaders.
Lisbon is home to the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics), which is an international organization of European nations, including the UK, responsible for tackling drug trafficking. Experts from the centre briefed the ship’s command team on her forthcoming counter narcotics mission.
Celebrating the United Kingdom’s lengthy relationship with Portugal, (The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty was signed in 1373), the Commanding Officer, Commander Sarah West followed the tradition of nailing a brass plaque bearing the ship’s name onto a barrel of rum.
Following this, a delegation from the NATO Naval Striking and Support Forces, (STRIKEFORNATO), led by the Deputy Commander of STRIKEFORNATO, Rear Admiral Tim Lowe visited HMS Portland for a briefing on the ship’s capability.
As part of the visit the group toured HMS Portland and also enjoyed a traditional English meal of fish and chips.
Rear Admiral Lowe said: “HMS Portland is an extremely capable warship and I wish her well on her forthcoming deployment.”
On sailing from Lisbon, the ship conducted an exercise with the Portuguese ship NRP Corte-Real. As part of this exercise HMS Portland hosted Portuguese sailors, whilst a number of Portland’s sailors were able to experience an afternoon at sea on the NRP Corte-Real. (RN news)
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Read all commentsJust in case anyone is interested in 'having a go', thought you'd like to know...
Jan 28th, 2014 - 08:14 pm 0HMS Portland, the fastest and most fearless Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. HMS Portland is one of the youngest Type 23 frigates in the Royal Navy, having been commissioned on 3 May 2001
Speed: 28 knots
Range: 14,485 km (9,000 miles) at 15 knots
Complement: 185
Sensors and processing systems:
Sonar 2087, Type 996 radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:
4 x 6-barrel Seagnat decoy launchers
DFL2/3 offboard decoys
Armament:
Anti-air missiles:
1× 32-cell Sea Wolf GWS.26 VLS canisters for 32 Sea Wolf missiles (range 1-10 km)
Anti-ship missiles:
2 × quad Harpoon launchers
Anti-submarine torpedoes:
2 × Twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes
Guns:
1 × BAE 4.5 inch Mk8 gun
2 × 30mm DS30M automated guns, or, 2× 30mm DS30B guns
2 × Miniguns
4 × General-purpose machine guns
Aircraft carried: 1×Lynx HMA8, armed with;
4× Sea Skua anti ship missiles, or
2× anti submarine torpedoes
or
1×Westland Merlin HM1, armed with;
4× anti submarine torpedoes
... makes one 'Think' does it not?
Way to go Commander Sarah West!!!
Jan 28th, 2014 - 08:22 pm 0You do us here in the UK proud!! Good luck & god speed
1 ilsen
She is a very capable ship isn't she? ( I've got to get me one of those )
@1
Jan 28th, 2014 - 08:23 pm 0You have gone and done it now, there will be a never ending list of militarising the Atlantic and murdering women and children posts from the RG's.
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