Royal Navy's newest warship HMS Tamar is ready for action and will be based in Portsmouth

BRITAIN’S newest Royal Navy warship is ready for front-line duties - just five months after the first sailors stepped aboard HMS Tamar.
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The Portsmouth-based ship River Class offshore patrol vessel has gone from a incomplete ‘lifeless hulk’ at the beginning of 2020 into a vessel ready to deploy around the globe by August - in what is thought to be the fastest development of a warship in peacetime.

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The coronavirus pandemic has made bringing Tamar to life even more challenging - with most of the 61 crew new to River class ships after coming from frigates and destroyers as well as carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

HMS Tamar
Picture: Royal NavyHMS Tamar
Picture: Royal Navy
HMS Tamar Picture: Royal Navy
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The ship has spent 13 of the 17 weeks since she sailed in March from Govan, near Glasgow in Scotland, at sea after the yard it was due to arrive at went into lockdown as the ship headed down the River Clyde.

People have worked long into the night, at weekends, they have thrown themselves into HMS Tamar – and that comes through time and again,’ Lieut Com Michael Hutchinson said.

‘It’s a great ship. People are up for it. My crew are young, they have fun, work hard, and together we’ve created a great spirit.’

Warrant Officer Trevor Ross, who at 60 is one of the oldest sailors still at sea and also one of the few Falklands veterans still serving, gave his insight on the crews effort.

HMS Tamar on exercises
Picture: Royal NavyHMS Tamar on exercises
Picture: Royal Navy
HMS Tamar on exercises Picture: Royal Navy
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‘We have lived in a “Tamar bubble” throughout the pandemic. Eighteen-hour days, it’s been hard work and very tiring, but the spirit is really, really good, one of the best ships I’ve been on for morale,’ he said.

The Tamar underwent operational sea training as its last act of turning it into an active warship - staged off the west coast of Scotland.

This included fire/flood/navigational training in numerous lochs before switching to the south coast for specific military training.

The ship has a dedicated mess for more than 50 troops and additional personnel – ideal for the wide range of maritime security roles that Tamar is designed to undertake.

HMS Tamar's ship's company Picture: Royal NavyHMS Tamar's ship's company Picture: Royal Navy
HMS Tamar's ship's company Picture: Royal Navy
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The extra mess makes the ship useful for evacuation operations, while the 16-tonne crane and space for up to five shipping containers will be vital in disaster relief operations.

Looking for the latest Royal Navy updates from Portsmouth? Join our new Royal Navy news Facebook group to keep up to date.

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