28 amazing memories of Royal Navy ship HMS Iron Duke's service
This HMS Iron Duke was launched in March 1991 and commissioned in May 1991. The ship is the third vessel in the Royal Navy to bear the name. There are some wonderful images in this selection, perhaps you can spot yourself or a relative?
HMS Iron Duke intercepted several huge consignments of illegal drugs being sent from the Caribbean to Europe.
Her only combat mission was action off Libya in 2011, destroying a gun battery outside the besieged town of Misrata. She also fired star shells through the night to illuminate pro-Gadaffi positions for NATO aircraft to destroy rocket launchers, fuel dumps, ammo stores, artillery batteries and command and control centres, whilst also confirming that no civilians were in the area.
Cocaine with a minimum street value of £40 million has been seized by a Royal Navy warship in the North Atlantic in a major drug bust operation. In a joint operation with the US Coast Guard on Saturday evening (28 June), the frigate HMS Iron Duke intercepted an ocean-going speedboat at 1712 BST some hundreds of miles north-east of Barbados in a location which suggested the boat had been en route to Europe or West Africa. Pictured: HMS IRON DUKES (background) with her Lynx Mk 3 helicopter hovering over the stopped powerboat the morning after all the drugs and personnel had been transferred to IRON DUKE to asses the state of the vessel. Please credit LA(PHOT) Jay Allen Photo: LA(PHOT Jay Allen
The seized vessel alongside HMS Iron Duke as the narcotics are removed. - Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke has made the largest seizure of cocaine ever recorded by the Royal Navy. The warship, working with the supply ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort George, seized over five and a half tonnes of cocaine in an operation off the coast of South America. It was the third major counter narcotics success for HMS Iron Duke in the region. The scale of the seizure marks a particularly significant blow to the narcotics trafficking industry. Although the intended destination of the drug cargo is unknown, had it reached the UK it could have been worth more than £240 Million at street prices. Minister for the Armed Forces Mr Bill Rammell MP said: Again, the Royal Navy has successfully damaged the trade in this vile substance, which only serves to poison our communities. The crew rightly deserve our praise and thanks for the work they do on our behalf. HMS Iron Dukes Commanding Officer, Commander Andrew Stacey RN, said: This is the largest seizure of cocaine in Royal Navy history, and is a very significant victory in the continuing fight against illegal drugs. Photo: The News archive
The 212 bales of cocaine seized by a joint Royal Navy/US Coast Guard team from the Warship HMS Iron Duke operating in the Caribbean - Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke has made the largest seizure of cocaine ever recorded by the Royal Navy. The warship, working with the supply ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort George, seized over five and a half tonnes of cocaine in an operation off the coast of South America. It was the third major counter narcotics success for HMS Iron Duke in the region. The scale of the seizure marks a particularly significant blow to the narcotics trafficking industry. Although the intended destination of the drug cargo is unknown, had it reached the UK it could have been worth more than £240 Million at street prices. Minister for the Armed Forces Mr Bill Rammell MP said: Again, the Royal Navy has successfully damaged the trade in this vile substance, which only serves to poison our communities. The crew rightly deserve our praise and thanks for the work they do on our behalf. HMS Iron Dukes Commanding Officer, Commander Andrew Stacey RN, said: This is the largest seizure of cocaine in Royal Navy history, and is a very significant victory in the continuing fight against illegal drugs. Photo: The News archive
The seized vessel, MV Cristal with HMS Iron Duke in the background - Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke has made the largest seizure of cocaine ever recorded by the Royal Navy. The warship, working with the supply ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort George, seized over five and a half tonnes of cocaine in an operation off the coast of South America. It was the third major counter narcotics success for HMS Iron Duke in the region. The scale of the seizure marks a particularly significant blow to the narcotics trafficking industry. Although the intended destination of the drug cargo is unknown, had it reached the UK it could have been worth more than £240 Million at street prices. Minister for the Armed Forces Mr Bill Rammell MP said: Again, the Royal Navy has successfully damaged the trade in this vile substance, which only serves to poison our communities. The crew rightly deserve our praise and thanks for the work they do on our behalf. HMS Iron Dukes Commanding Officer, Commander Andrew Stacey RN, said: This is the largest seizure of cocaine in Royal Navy history, and is a very significant victory in the continuing fight against illegal drugs. Photo: The News archive
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