Royal Navy warship from Portsmouth sets sail for missionÂ in the MediterraneanÂ

HMS Diamond as she set sail on her nine-month operational deployment in 2017.

HMS Diamond sailed from the city over the weekend to conduct patrols in the Mediterranean.

It comes after a busy year for the Â£1bn Type 45 destroyer, whose crew spent most of the summer months operating in or around UK waters '“Â as well as shadowing Russian warships.

Commander Ben Keith, Diamond's commanding officer, said: '˜I'm thrilled that HMS Diamond is once again at sea on operations to keep our nation safe. I am proud of every single sailor in this ship for the work they have put in to get us ready for this mission.

HMS Diamond shadows the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov as they passed through the UKs area of interest on August 7. Picture: Royal Navy

'˜I also want to pay tribute to our families as none of what we do could be achieved without their support while we are away from home.'

Diamond recently returned from a visit to the Polish port of Gdynia.

Lieutenant Commander Oliver Clark, the ship's logistics officer, said: '˜After a busy summer we are ready to get back to work for our next mission, having spent a short period alongside to get ready. This is going to be a challenging deployment for everyone on board, but pressure is what makes a Diamond shine.'

Over the last couple of months, Diamond has been involved in monitoring Russian naval activity, visited four ports, helped train warfare officers and RAF air crew, hosted two ambassadors, represented the Royal Navy in front of a million people at Bournemouth Air Festival and joined NATO ships in the Baltic.

Diamond is one of six state-of-the-art destroyers based in Portsmouth. She was the third Type 45 launched by the Royal Navy and will play an integral role in protecting the nation's two new aircraft carriers from aerial attack.