Atlantic Patrol Tasking HMS Lancaster in Gibraltar

Wednesday, December 16th 2015 - 08:05 UTC

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HMS Lancaster, a type 23 Frigate is in Gibraltar for a few days to top up on fuel and supplies and allow its crew some rest and recuperation. HMS Lancaster recently completed a 9-month deployment to the South Atlantic where she conducted Atlantic Patrol Tasking, and made over 23 port visits in 18 countries. Read full article

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ilsen
Awesome. One voyage!
I think only the USA has this kind of 'reach' . I am sure China does not, nor Russia.
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”The nine month deployment saw HMS Lancaster cross the North Atlantic .. to the [USA], through the Caribbean, stopping in Bermuda and then advanced to New Orleans ...
From there HMS Lancaster went through the Panama Canal and down the west coast of South America taking in Columbia and Chile, sailing around the Cape Hope, [then experienced some distraction, whilst trying to maintain course, (allegedly any brief instability was due to the massive hilarity enjoined by the Crew as they 'fell-about' due to witnessing Argentina's new 'sloops'), however, discipline was soon re-established, and tots of rum were passed around on the lower decks].
Then back across the Atlantic, stopping off at the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Tristan de Cunha, before reaching South Africa.
Leaving South Africa HMS Lancaster travelled up the west coast of Africa calling at Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde Islands before crossing into Algeria and finally towards Gibraltar.
Dec 16th, 2015 - 08:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Chris01
@ ilsen

France, to a degree, who have a network of small bases in Africa and the middle East which compensates for their smaller fleet of tankers/support vessels. They regularly deploy to the Indian ocean to train with the Indians and they also have to police their EEZ around the DOM/TOMs (oversea territories) in a bunch of far flung places from Tahiti to Brazil (Guyanne Française) etc...
Dec 16th, 2015 - 12:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Conqueror
Amazing! All the way up the west coast of Africa, didn't have to put in anywhere for major repairs and no-one wanted to seize it.

As ever, well done to “The Queen's Frigate”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Lancaster_(F229)

Now equipped with the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopter.
Dec 16th, 2015 - 01:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Briton
Soon be home for xmas..
Dec 16th, 2015 - 01:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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toooldtodieyoung
“Atlantic Patrol Tasking HMS Lancaster in Gibraltar”

Hats off to the ships company!! Nicely done ladies and gentlemen..... Very nicely done.

An epic deployment, coolly handled and perfectly executed.

Well done all
Dec 16th, 2015 - 07:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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ilsen
Thank You ChrisR for the info.
Interesting to know, I'd forgotten about all the (ex-) French Colonies...
Except of course Guyanne Française, near-neighbour to Venezuela. I expect/hope Maduro will go quiet on his sabre-rattling with them and Suriname (ex-British Guiana), now the wolves are at his door...
Didn't the French cancel some big naval contract with the Russians over the the spat in the Ukraine? Is it a big deal, or no?
Dec 17th, 2015 - 01:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Chris01
It is a little known fact that France has the largest EEZ in the world once you add up all of its territories, and yet they still haven't got a strategy in place to capitalise on it nor can they properly keep an eye on it with the navy they currently have.
As for the deal with Russia which covered the sale of 2 amphibious assault ships, the biggest loser is Russia. The French have found buyers for the ships (Egypt, I think), they need only to cover the costs of replacing all the signs in Cyrillic on board. For Russia though it is more complicated. Putin had wanted these ships after the 2008 war in Georgia had shown that the Russian navy was facing significant deficits in capabilities. The deal with France was that they would build 2 ships and the Russians would get their hands on the means to build more of their own through technology transfers to Russian shipyards, and THAT was the real prize for them. After 20 years of near complete neglect, russian shipbuilding is a shadow of its former self and I find it doubtful that they can still build large vessels like aircraft carriers on their own anymore, the deal with the French could have changed that.
Dec 17th, 2015 - 08:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Eck
@6 Suriname is ex Dutch, not British. French Guiana is an overseas department of France. Guyana (ex British Guiana) is the country that Maduro is now sabre rattling with because they have found oil offshore - as if Venezuela didn't have enough already with the biggest oil reserves of any country in the world. Maduro has recently cut off rice for oil contract with Guyana and given it to Suriname. President Granger of Guyana is now pushing for the Venezuelan claim to two thirds of Guyana to be taken to the ICJ. Hopefully, the new Venezuelan government will be able to stop all this nonsense.
Dec 17th, 2015 - 01:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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ChrisR
@ 6 ilsen
“Thank You ChrisR for the info.”

I cannot claim the credit as it belongs to a relative newcomer “7 Chris01”.

:o)
Dec 17th, 2015 - 08:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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