Portsmouth warship HMS Defender working with Greek navy to keep commandos close to crisis zones

Portsmouth-based HMS Defender, alongside HMS Albion, RFA Argus, and RFA Mounts Bay, has worked closely with NATO allies as part of Operation Achillean over the last week.

It sees the Type 45 destroyer working alongside Greece’s navy, while HMS Albion has been working with NATO forces in Turkey to prepare for possible future amphibious operations.

Task group commander and commanding officer of HMS Albion, Captain Simon Kelly, said: ‘Given the strategic location of Turkey, I am delighted that Albion has been able to visit our important NATO partner and reaffirm the strong links between our navies.

‘The Turkish have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and I found we had much to share, particularly where it comes to interoperability of joint forces in conducting amphibious operations.’

After amphibious exercises in Cyprus, HMS Albion sailed to Izmir in the Aegean Sea, where she hosted staff from NATO Land Command for a discussion on littoral warfare, while also hosting Turkish dignitaries.

The Royal Navy’s amphibious flagship is currently leading the Littoral Response Group North, a task force designed to react to crises in European waters.

Littoral response groups are Royal Navy task groups usually consist of at least two amphibious warfare ships, a company of Royal Marines, and supporting elements primarily tasked with amphibious warfare across coastal regions.

The planning officer for the Littoral Response Group deployment, Lieutenant Commander Matt Taborda, added: ‘This visit presented an ideal opportunity to reinforce the importance of securing sea lines of communication to our Turkish Naval colleagues and land focused NATO colleagues.

‘The safe and secure delivery of large scale logistical shipping is a vital aspect to the sustainment of NATO’s Land Command operations.’

Both HMS Defender and HMS Albion, along with the rest of the task force, have now returned to their previous security operations in the eastern part of the Mediterranean.

Earlier this year saw HMS Defender undertake drills to test her warfighting capabilities while part of the Baltops 22 exercise in the Baltic Sea.