Hundreds of Royal Navy sailors ready themselves for Gulf deployment on HMS Montrose
HUNDREDS of Royal Navy sailors are ramping up their training as they gear up to deploy to the Middle East.
HMS Montrose’s 200-strong ‘Starboard Crew’ have kick-started their latest bout of preparations ahead of a four-month tour in the Gulf later this year.
Type 23 frigate Montrose is permanently based in Bahrain, with duties being split between two crews, Starboard and Port, throughout the year.
The method of operating is similar to that used with minehunters that are stationed in the Middle East for several years at a time.
It allows for shorter overall deployments and more flexibility for sailors when it comes to taking leave and carrying out training courses.
Starboard Crew returned to the UK in spring following a stint on mighty Montrose over the winter.
And with no ship to work on, the team of sailors have been brushing up on their skills using simulators or training on other Type 23s to practise key drills like firefighting and damage control.
Working closely with the Fleet Operational Sea Training staff as well as the Babcock workforce in the dockyard, they got the chance to run through emergency procedures, drills and engineering tasks aboard HMS Monmouth.
‘The training is really important to get us as a team on Montrose back up to the best skill level we can be at, especially after a break from the last deployment and seeing our families,’ said Able Seaman Connor Barker.
‘Things can change quickly on operations and you need to be totally ready to respond. I’m really looking forward to getting back out there and seeing everyone working together.’
Commander Charles Collins, Starboard Crew’s commanding officer, said the pandemic had ‘really changed’ how the team trained.
‘It has been tough but we had to ensure all the elements and safety requirements were in place before we could start training,’ he said.
And in a message of reassurance to the crew’s loved ones, Cdr Collins added: ‘To the families, I’d like to reassure them that their loved ones are trained to the highest standards and doing their best.
‘To the crew, I am proud of you and know that you will always deliver, the country is proud of you.’
Montrose’s main mission in the Gulf is to protect the critical shipping lanes.
But she is also on hand to tackle piracy and drugs gangs.
Currently a Plymouth-flagged ship, the frigate will move over to Portsmouth Naval Base in 2023 as part of a reshuffle of where frigates are based, announced in 2017.