Billion-pound Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender ramps up training to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth

HMS Defender is ramping up training ahead of joining aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on future carrier strike operations.

The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer and her 190-strong ship’s company now face six weeks of fleet operational sea training before returning to active duty.

The hi-tech warship spent 222 days in the Gulf escorting merchant shipping in the Middle East at the height of the Iranian crisis, returning home in March.

During the ship’s latest stint at sea, the crew have been put through their paces, tackling mock fires, sea boat drills, and an air defence exercise.

The 8,500-tonne warship also flexed her muscles by firing nearly all of the her arsenal of weaponry.

Commander Vince Owen, Defender’s captain, said: ‘It has been fantastic to take HMS Defender back to sea after a busy maintenance period following our return in March from seven months deployed in the Middle East.

‘The focus for us has now shifted to preparing for our next deployment and the new challenges and opportunities that will present us. The next step on this exciting journey starts in July as we commence our operational sea training package, this training will provide the perfect opportunity to integrate the new crew members into our team and enhance our maritime skills before we focus on carrier task group training later this year.’

The training has been both exciting and challenging for the ship’s company.

Leading Engineering Technician Danny Holmes said: ‘As tough as basic operational sea training can be, I am excited to refresh myself and help to train the more junior members of the ship’s company so we can deploy in 2021 as a competent fighting unit.’

LET Stephen Bates said: ‘It’s exciting to finally be onboard and apply the training that I have undergone so far. I am now ready for a new set of challenges in the build up to the deployment.’

HMS Defender was diverted to the Middle East last summer, from an intended Far East deployment, to join other Royal Navy vessels accompanying British merchant shipping into and out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.

She sailed the narrow waters at the gateway to the Gulf 28 times, accompanying 1.6m tonnes of cargo on those 38 ships – cargo vital to UK trade and economy.

Her crew also scored the biggest crystal meth seizure on record in the region, 131kg, followed in January by 2.5 tonnes of cannabis, while on anti-smuggling operations in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

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