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Nine warships, F-35B Lightning jets, helicopters, and thousands of sailors and Royal Marines Commandos were part of Operation Achillean over the last three months.

The operation finished on Saturday as HMS Albion’s amphibious task group returned to the UK.

The transport dock had been sailing alongside a task force of four ships - RFA Argus, HMS Defender, and RFA Mounts Bay – as they journeyed nearly 50,000 miles and visited more than a dozen countries across three continents.

Pictured: HMS Defender, HMS Albion, RFA Tide Surge, RFA Argus, RFA Mounts Bay

Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group completed flying exercises as part of Operation Achillean in the North Sea last month, returning to Portsmouth for December 1.

The exercises saw the £3.1bn aircraft carrier undertake a ‘remarkable’ test of her air ambulance setup at sea for the first time.

Captain Marcus Hember, HMS Albion’s new commanding officer who took over from Captain Simon Kelly in Gibraltar earlier this week, said: ‘It is remarkable what the task group achieved in these busy months.

‘It is a testament to the skill, hard work, and dedication of each sailor and Commando.

The Royal Marines deployed to Montenegro to participate in EX STRIKE LION an amphibious exercise as part of the Royal Navy’s Op ACHILLEAN exercise.

‘The task group has visited more than a dozen countries, forging closer links with our allies and partners. I have no doubt that the ship’s company will continue to deliver to the end of this deployment and in the year ahead in 2023.’

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The task group operated in the central and eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Adriatic, working in Spain, Libya, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Montenegro, Croatia, Malta, Tunisia, Greece, Algeria and Italy.

RFA Argus deployed with an air group of Merlin and Wildcat helicopters from Commando Helicopter Force’s 847 and 845 Naval Air Squadrons.

They recently played a key role in boarding operations training alongside Royal Marines from 47 and 42 Commando and the Algerian Armed Forces.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is undergoing some maintenance work ahead of Christmas leave for the ship’s company, and the warship is due to begin renewed operations in the new year.

Royal Navy warships completes 'remarkable' major European deployment involving more than a dozen countries