Royal Navy: Portsmouth destroyer HMS Duncan leaves city and goes back on deployment as Nato flagship

HMS Duncan sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base yesterday afternoon. The Type 45 Destroyer will be serving as the flagship for Nato’s Standing Maritime Group 2.

The force – containing around half a dozen vessels – conducts patrols from the Pillars of Hercules to the Bosphorus to maintain peace across the region. HMS Duncan was rededicated at Portsmouth Naval Base earlier this month following a two-year regeneration project,

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Friends, affiliates, families and senior naval officers celebrated the warship’s revival. Sponsor Lady Marie Ibbotson was the guest of honour, having launched the ship on the Clyde in October 2010.

Commander Ben Martin, Duncan’s commanding officer, said the 200 men and women aboard his ship were ready for the challenges ahead. It is the third time in five years that HMS Duncan has been deployed as part of the Mediterranean task force.

The last act of her regeneration project was being deployed in the same region earlier this year. She joined the French flagship carrier FS Charles de Gaulle, on exercises off the coast of Toulon.

As the flagship, Nato staff will choreograph the movements and activities of Duncan and the other vessels assigned to the task group (currently a mix of warships from the USA, Spain, Canada, France and Italy) individually and collectively.

The force will carry out specific exercises and operations, working with allied and partner nations across the Mediterranean. The Royal Navy said this is to demonstrate the UK and Nato’s commitment to preserving our interests and values.

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The alliance will be promoted via port visits across the Mediterranean, while keeping the area safe from threats. They will also be the first responders to any natural disasters in the region such as earthquakes.

Engineering Technician Freddie Day, 20-year-old weapons engineer, will be on his first deployment. He said: ‘I’ve only been on board Duncan for a couple of months so I am a little nervous but really looking forward to going to visit places I’ve not been before and spend time with my mates on board who I’ve already bonded with.

‘I am also looking forward to getting stuck in and finding out more about my job on an operational deployment.’ HMS Duncan is due to return to Portsmouth in December.