New crew joins Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose to hunt drug smugglers, pirates and terrorists in the Gulf

Mighty Montrose is now gearing up for a demanding four-month stint in the Middle East and keeping illegal activity in check.

The Type 23 frigate is deployed to Bahrain – the hub of the navy’s operations east of Suez – for three years as part of the new project forward-basing warships abroad.

Every four months the ship’s company of more than 200 sailors, Royal Marines and Wildcat helicopter crew change entirely – in this case Port Crew, under former Southsea-based sailor Commander Ollie Hucker, moved on board Montrose for the third time.

Before Montrose could hit the water, she was given an ‘MoT and service’ to check she was in a fit state to handle the blistering 50-degree heat of the region’s summer sun.

As well as providing reassurance for ships in the region, Montrose will hit the front line in the battle against drug gangs, pirates and terrorists operating in the region.

During their four months in theatre, the Port Crew plus friends and family back home have set themselves the ambitious goal of running or walking around the world - 24,901miles, the equivalent of 160,300 laps of the frigate’s upper deck.

‘Being away from our families during these challenging times, we wanted to do something to support those back home, so we came up with an idea to raise some money for some charities close to our hearts,’ said organiser Lieutenant Commander Barry Crosswood, the ship’s principal warfare officer.

‘Being able to involve the wider Montrose family in the initiative is really important to us – it’s about looking after everyone’s welfare, staying healthy and fighting the pandemic together. We can run laps around coronavirus.’

Proceeds will be shared among the mental health charity MIND, the Royal Navy Benevolent Trust and Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity. To sponsor, see: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HMSMONTROSE

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.