"Welcome home!": Royal Navy warship HMS Trent returns to Portsmouth after five years for "regeneration period"

Offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent sailed past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth this morning (July 28). A statement posted on the ship’s social media account marked the historic return.

It said: “We’re home! After 5 years, HMS Trent has returned to Portsmouth for a short stop during our regeneration period. It’s good to be back home!”

What has HMS Trent been doing?

The River-class warship has spent much of her time alongside Malta for a “comprehensive” maintenance period to be completed. She was given a dazzling camouflage colour scheme, a new flight deck lighting system with new and improved LED lights, overhauls to her radar system, and various husbandry work.

Former Commanding Officer Commander Tim Langford described this period alongside Malta as “invaluable”, with the ship being left in an excellent condition. Commander Gavin Lowe took charge of HMS Trent in June while the vessel was visiting Gibraltar.

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Prior to the ship’s time maintenance period in Europe - which started in October last year - she was on the frontline line of Royal Navy anti drug-smuggling operations in the Caribbean Sea. During her nine-month Caribbean deployment, narcotics with a street value of £750m were seized across eight operations. HMS Trent also became the first Royal Navy ship to intercept a narco-sub.

In that September drug bust, she joined the US Coastguard to capture 2,000 kg of cocaine, valued at £160m, 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. More than £40m of narcotics were also confiscated in September, with three smugglers being handed over to the American authorities.

Royal Navy sailors also supported British Oversea Territories during hurricane season, with 50 disaster relief specialists on board. HMS Trent will soon be returning to the Caribbean to relieve HMS Medway.