Royal Navy: Hundreds of sailors and assets deployed over Christmas - First Sea Lord addresses "demanding" year

A total of 21 Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels are at sea, deployed in countries across the world or on five days’ notice if they need to respond to any emergencies. Type 23 frigate HMS Portland and other patrol vessels are currently on standby if ships deemed of interest sail through the North Sea and the English Channel.

HMS Cutlass and Dagger and the Pacific 24 RIBs of the RN Gibraltar Squadron will be monitoring the British Overseas Territory’s waters over the festive period. Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Medway remains deployed in the Caribbean on anti-narcotics operations and HMS Forth will be visiting outlying communities in The Falkland Islands.

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icebreaker HMS Protector has begun her first stint of the 2024-25 season in Antarctica, conducting key scientific research into global warming and the impact of tourism on the delicate local environment. Royal Marines after on short leave after preparing for this winter’s deployment northern Norway - testing themselves in bitterly cold climates.

Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster remains on hand in Bahrain in the Middle East, alongside other minehunters. HMS Spey and HMS Tamar are still covering the Indo-Pacific region near Singapore, gearing up for the arrival of HMS Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier Strike Group next year. She is due to visit Japan, Australia and other countries in the region while carrying out diplomatic tasks and military operations, including Exercise Talisman Sabre.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key issued a statement thanking personnel and their families for their service throughout the year, adding that “many navies across the world” still approach the force “for advice and leadership”. He added: “I cannot list all that you have delivered this year: the submarines, the ships, the units, the operations, the exercises, the training, the sporting achievements. Your resilience and professionalism have allowed us to deliver on another demanding year.”