"Busy" Royal Navy stalwart HMS Richmond to be decommissioned after joining HMS Prince of Wales on Pacific op
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A Royal Navy frigate that recently returned home from an expansive global mission is due to be decommissioned.
Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond will be retired this year, with her last hurrah being part of the UK Carrier Strike Group on Operation Highmast. Joining forces with HMS Prince of Wales during exercises in Australia, India, South Korea, and elsewhere, the warship returned home shortly before Christmas last year.
Emotional Royal Navy sailors held a parade for the ship in Richmond market square, the Yorkshire Army town that bears her name. Roughly 45 sailors attended the ceremony.
Commanding Officer Commander Richard Kemp told ITV News: “This is an Army town, we understand that. It’s great to flash a bit of dark blue, remind everyone that the Navy is here, and thank everyone for their support.
“It does mean a lot when we’re operating around the world as we do. With the Carrier Strike Group, we went to South Korea, Indonesia, Australia. She has seen action in 2003 in the Gulf, and two years ago in the Red Sea. She’s had a busy career, and defended our partners and allies around the world. She’s had a really good innings.”
Why was HMS Richmond decommissioned?
She was commissioned in 1995 and has held an extinguished career over the past few decades. The frigate supported the Royal marines amphibious assault of the Al Faw Peninsula during the Iraq war. She has also been deployed to the Caribbean to support British Overseas Territories with disaster relief, as well as the Atlantic.
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During her last deployment in the Indo-Pacific, she ignored warnings from China and carried out patrols in the Taiwan Strait. Being subject to “constructive kill” demos didn’t stop the sailors upholding freedom of navigation rights for all sailors. The frigate took part in various operations during the Indo-Pacific deployment, including Exercise Konkan with Indian forces,
HMS Richmond received regular upgrades right up until her retirement, including the Link 16 Crypto Modernised system, the Naval Strike Missile outfit, and new engines through the Power Generation Machinery Upgrade (PGMU). Navy Lookout reports that her hull was only designed to last roughly 18 years, and after 30 years of operations, became unrepairable.
The Royal Navy will now have just six Type 23 frigates, from an original total of 16. New ships are being built, but they are still several years away. Type 31 General Purpose frigates are being constructed by Babcock, and will be asked to conduct a range of missions once they’re operational. The five vessels are due to be based in Portsmouth.
A further eight Type 26 submarine-hunting ships are being constructed by BAE Systems, and will primarily be assigned to patrol the North Atlantic. The earliest a new ships will be commissioned into the fleet is 2028, leaving a two year gap where the fleet could shrink even further.