Mighty HMS Duncan arrives in Denmark after leaving Portsmouth for first time since Nato deployment

A Portsmouth-based Royal Navy warship has arrived in Denmark after leaving the city for the first time since her last major deployment.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan sailed to the Scandinavian nation after leaving Portsmouth on August 19. She initially returned home to HMNB Portsmouth on July 24 after completing phase one of Operation Firecrest; standing shoulder to shoulder with HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG).

A social media statement was issued about the warship’s recent task. It said: “Goddag København! We’ve arrived! We’re looking forward to exploring this fantastic city, meeting our Danish friends and enjoying everything Copenhagen has to offer. Tak for den varme velkomst!”

HMS Duncan is expected to conduct various drills ahead of the second phase of Operation Firecrest. The first phase of the mission involved various exercises in the North Atlantic and High North alongside Nato allies amid a growing presence from Russia.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “HMS Duncan has departed Portsmouth to continue operations following a period of well-deserved summer leave and planned maintenance. This comes after a highly successful deployment to the high north as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group.”

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The UKCSG undertook various drills in the first phase, including Exercise Neptune Strike. This saw sailors and aviators from ten Nato allied nations operate across air, land, and sea. Similar exercises, including those which saw F-35B fighter jets conduct aerial manoeuvres hundreds of miles away from HMS Prince of Wales, took place near Norway and Iceland.

Commodore Richard Hewitt, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, previously said: “Over the past three months, we have proven the UK Carrier Strike Group capabilities over and over again, committing this capability to NATO and demonstrating our determination to defend NATO’s Northern flank.

“We have shown how we can generate, sustain and when called upon, defend our NATO and JEF allies against unwanted threats in the High North and North Atlantic. Neptune Strike has been a successful finish, demonstrating our capability and supporting NATO deterrence across the Euro-Atlantic.”