Retired Royal Navy ship HMS Richmond shows age with ship to 'undergo preparations for disposal' in Portsmouth
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The Type 23 frigate was towed to HMNB Portsmouth on a grotty October morning
A former stalwart of the Royal Navy has been brought back to Portsmouth after being retired from service.
Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond was towed past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth this morning (October 15). A small cluster of photographers gathered to capture the Duke-class ship, was showing her age.
Under the tow of tug En Aavant, Bountiful and Indulgent, the retired warship slunk to the Fountain Lake Jetty. Regarding her future, a Royal Navy spokesperson said: “HMS Richmond has arrived in Portsmouth following her retirement from service, where she will undergo preparations for disposal in due course.”
Previous Type 23 frigates in such condition have been sent to sold to shipyard in Turkish shipyards, removed from Fareham Creek or HMNB Portsmouth and scrapped. These include HMS Montrose, HMS Monmouth, HMS Westminster and others.
HMS Richmond was officially retired in July alongside her sister ship HMS Iron Duke, and the Hunt-class minehunter HMS Chiddingfold. The trio served for more than a century combined. Earlier in the year, a Royal Navy sailors held a parade in the Yorkshire market town of Richmond to mark the end of the ship’s storied career.
This left the Royal Navy with just five frigates. Modern Type 26 and 31 replacements are being constructed in Scotland, although the first of these 13 vessels is not expected to be part of the fleet until 2028 at the very earliest. Most of them will be delivered in the 2030s, putting pressure on the navy’s capacity to carry out its duties.
Speaking about the three recent retirements, Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse said: “HMS Richmond, HMS Iron Duke and HMS Chiddingfold have each played a key role in safeguarding the UK’s security and interests worldwide.
“As they are retired from service, their legacy continues through the next generation of warships and advanced autonomous systems. This marks a significant step in the Royal Navy’s evolution towards a Hybrid Navy, combining cutting-edge technology with proven capability to meet future maritime challenges. We honour their service and look forward to the advantage the future fleet will provide.”
HMS Richmond’s last deployment was alongside the UK Carrier Strike Group in 2025, headed up by HMS Prince of Wales. She was deployed to the Indo-Pacific for eight months under Operation Highmast.
The warship conducted various military drills and diplomatic engagements in Australia, India, South Korea, and elsewhere. One of her most prominent exercises was conducted in the Taiwan Strait, where the ship’s company were subject to “constructive kill” drills by China and her forces. The Royal Navy is pushing to replace
In the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26, it was revealed that removing HMS Richmond from service cost the government £45.847m in constructive losses. After originally being launched in 1993, she was given various upgrade packages in the 2020s to extend her life. She was the first the first Type 23 frigates to have her diesel generators replaced with modern MTU M53B units, alongside other modifications.