Portsmouth patrol ship HMS Mersey joins Nato task force in a new 'first' for the Royal Navy

A PORTSMOUTH-based warship has joined Nato’s ‘very high readiness joint task force’ in a first for the Royal Navy.
Some of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal NavySome of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal Navy
Some of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal Navy

HMS Mersey has joined the flotilla in the North Sea and will now carry out maritime security operations alongside other warships from Portugal and Canada.

It’s the first time a British vessel from the navy’s overseas patrol squadron has debuted with the task group, known as Standing Nato Maritime Group One (SNMG1).

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The news comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the west and a recent surge in Russian naval vessels in the North Sea and the Channel.

HMS Mersey pictured on deploymentHMS Mersey pictured on deployment
HMS Mersey pictured on deployment
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Lieutenant Commander Will Edwards-Bannon, Mersey’s captain, said his crew had been made to feel ‘very welcomed’ by their Nato colleagues.

He added: ‘The Royal Navy has been at the heart of NATO’s maritime training and operations for over 71 years now and so it was a privilege to be able to play our small part in this long-standing partnership by hoisting the Nato flag with pride in HMS Mersey and joining SNMG1 in the North Sea.’

Mersey is now working alongside Vasco da Gama-class frigate NRP Corte-Real and Halifax-class frigate HMCS Toronto, tackling long-range communications exercises, tactical manoeuvring drills and flying training with the task group’s helicopters.

Some of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal NavySome of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal Navy
Some of the Nato warships pictured from HMS Mersey during an exercise in the North Sea. Photo: Royal Navy
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She joined the task group in the Skaggerak – the doorway from the North Sea into the Baltic – and jointly completed the first week of their operational training programme.

Lieutenant Domonic Jacobs, Mersey’s operations officer, added: ‘This is the first time I have operated in a task group since completion of my training and it is definitely something that has been enjoyable albeit challenging at times.

‘That has made this an exciting time to be one of Mersey’s duty ops officers, especially the task of co-ordinating Mersey’s contribution by liaising with the multi-national Nato staff in the flagship.

‘Mersey’s contribution and enthusiasm seems to have been well-received by SNMG1 and I very much hope we get the chance to benefit from working with NATO again in the future.’

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Launched in 2003, Mersey is the youngest of the first batch of five River-class patrol ships.

Last month the 1,700-tonne warship monitored Russia's Kilo-class attack submarine Krasnodar in the English Channel, having previously been called to shadow a number of other Russian warship earlier in the year.

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