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HMS Lancaster will set sail on August 15 from Portsmouth and will not be seen for at least three years as she travels to the Gulf to maintain security.

The frigate is set to become the second Royal Navy ship that has been sent to Bahrain for a long-term mission.

Commanding Officer Commander Tom Johnson said: ‘I am immensely proud of everything my ship’s company has achieved to prepare for this deployment.

‘Although our thoughts always turn to our loved ones at home when we depart the UK, we are very much looking forward to working alongside our international partners as part of a NATO Task Group over the coming months.’

She will work alongside regional partners and allies to provide security for the UK, and will prevent any drug smuggling and the increase of arms.

Before HMS Lancaster reaches her home for the next three years and gets to work, she will perform a number of duties with NATO in the Mediterranean and European waters.

Lancaster is due to conduct patrols with two NATO task forces, the first one being a fleet made up of destroyers and frigates, which sails the Northern waters on missions.

The ship’s company of HMS Lancaster spelled "E II R" on the flight deck while the Portsmouth-based warship patrolled UK waters. It is now set to undertake a three year mission in the Gulf.

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Later on in the journey to the Gulf, Lancaster will take up her role in the force’s Mediterranean counterpart, where the same mission will be conducted, but from the Pillars of Hercules to the Red Sea.

The work that Lancaster will do with the NATO patrols will see them getting involved with some of the most important technological trials and exercises this year.

Ciaran Doherty, Engineering Technician, said: ‘I am really looking forward to my first deployment and seeing the world.’

More than 40 crewless systems are due to be tested at REPMUS next month, which will be staged off of the coast of Portugal.

The aim of the exercises is to test the effectiveness of the un-crewed systems and how they can harness the tech.

Once the 200 crew members have arrived in Bahrain, they will rotate with UK crew like-for-like every four months.

The Lancaster sailors have been trained extensively and with the frigate stocked up with supplies and ammunition, they are ready to set sail.

Royal Navy warship based in Portsmouth is due to set sail on a three-year mission to maintain the security in Gulf