HMS Lancaster

Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon makes her way to the Upper Harbour Ammunition Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth harbour, Hampshire, ahead of being deployed to protect British military personnel in Cyprus. Picture date: Tuesday March 3, 2026.

Why HMS Dragon is not sailing for Middle East op right now

Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will be deployed to the Middle East, as hostilities refuse to subside in the region. Pictured is the warship at dawn in Portsmouth Harbour on March 4.

'Bitter mess' overshadows HMS Dragon op as fleet size criticised

Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will be deployed to the Middle East, as hostilities refuse to subside in the region. Pictured is the warship at dawn in Portsmouth Harbour on March 4.

'Difficult decisions' face Royal Navy amid Iran Middle East bombings

Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse has defended the move to move warships away from the Middle East, stating it's what British allies want. Pictured is the Vice Admiral during the homecoming of HMS Prince of Wales in November 2025.

Commander defends no Middle East ships saying it's what allies 'want'

HMS Middleton, the solo forward deployed Royal Navy ship in Middle East, has gone into a maintenance period in Bahrain.

"Troubling" Royal Navy decision over ships in Middle East challenged

A quick-thinking drone pilot saved a Peregrine helicopters from plunging into the sea, aboard HMS Lancaster.

Quick-thinking pilot saves drone helicopter from plunging into sea

HMS Middleton, the solo forward deployed Royal Navy ship in Middle East, is expected to leave the region - with no warship replacing her, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Last Royal Navy ship in Middle East ship expected to leave

HMS Lancaster has been officially retired from the Royal Navy fleet in Bahrain after serving in the force for over 34 years.

26 heart-breaking pictures from HMS Lancaster's retirement

The Royal Navy's longest-serving frigate, HMS Lancaster, has been decommissioned after 34 years of exceptional operational service, having exceeded her original 18- year lifespan by almost double.

HMS Lancaster retired and due to be disposed of without homecoming

The number of Royal Navy deployments to the Middle East has fallen over the past decade. This comes as HMS Lancaster quietly leaves the region. Picture: Royal Navy

Royal Navy deployments to Middle East falls amid "continual review"

HMS Lancaster on patrol in the Gulf region

HMS Lancaster leaves Gulf without replacement amid "shortages"

One of the drug-laden skiffs races across the Gulf of Oman, observed by a Peregrine drone

"Remarkable" sniper shot stops £35m illegal drug shipment

HMS Lancaster is due to return home from the Middle East, with a lack of a forward deployed warship in the region. The Royal Navy frigate is reportedly due to be scrapped, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Royal Navy ship to leave Middle East deployment and be "scrapped"

HMS Lancaster seized £30m worth of narcotics during a major drugs bust in the Arabian Sea in May of this year. Pictured: Royal Marines of 42 Commando boarding the suspect vessel, pouncing on a dhow which had 80 packages of narcotics on board.

Biggest recent Royal Navy drug busts - pictures

HMS Lancaster seized £30m worth of narcotics during a major drugs bust in the Arabian Sea. Pictured: Royal Marines of 42 Commando boarding the suspect vessel.

"Huge win": HMS Lancaster pounces on drug smugglers seizing £30m haul

Four kittens were rescued by Royal Navy sailors in Bahrain after getting stuck under a shipping container. Pictured: he orphaned kittens emerge from their 'home' underneath shipping containers.

Adorable "suffering" cats saved by Navy sailors after their mum dies
Cute orphaned kittens have been rescued by Royal Navy sailors who showed “incredible empathy” in saving them.
Freddie Webb

Banshee Jet 80+ drones, which were used as targets during exercises to prepare for the HMS Prince of Wales carrier strike group deployment, have been retired from the Royal Navy.

Jet-powered drones that can travel up to 400mph retired - why

Cpl Alex and Petty Officer Andrew Warry, from Portchester, meeting up on a security mission in the Middle East. PO Warry is deployed on HMS Lancaster.

Pompey fans serving in Royal Navy and RAF unite on security mission

HMS Lancaster, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, seized a huge stash of heroin and methamphetamine in the Arabian Sea near Bahrain.

Huge heroin and meth stash seized by Royal Navy sailors

"Game-changing" mini helicopter drone Peregrine has been tested for the first time during narcotics operations conducted by HMS Lancaster off the coast of Bahrain.

"Game-changing" mini helicopter drone works wonders on drug busting op

HMS Lancaster seized several stashes of illegal narcotics while conducting patrols in the Middle East and Gulf of Oman, but this garnered social media criticism from some.

HMS Lancaster seizes drugs in Middle East but sparks social media row

The future of HMS Lancaster has been addressed, with plans for the Type 23 frigates to be phased out of the Royal Navy soon.

HMS Lancaster future addressed - when she'll leave the active fleet

HMS Lancaster and PNS Shamsheer conducting exercises as part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150.

"Essential" naval counter terrorism operation carried out

A Royal Marine from HMS-Lancaster and a Seychelles Special Forces Unit soldier move through the jungle during an exercise.

Marine commandos carry out intense jungle exercise with special forces

A Royal Marine from HMS-Lancaster and a Seychelles Special Forces Unit soldier move through the jungle during an exercise.

Former nightclub and care home set to be transformed into new housing

HMS Lancaster seized £33m worth of crystal meth, heroin and hasish on two separate busts in the Middle East. Pictured is the boarding team closing in on one of the vessels. Picture: Royal Navy

Heroic HMS Lancaster seizes £33m of drugs in the Middle East

The Wildcat helicopter stands guard over the drugs haul on the frigate's flight deck. Picture: Lt Cdr Jason Jones/Royal Navy.

Huge heroin and hashish haul seized by sailors
Huge amounts of drugs have been seized by Royal Navy sailors from criminals in the Arabian Sea.
Freddie Webb

HMS Lancaster

HMS Lancaster carries out "co-ordinated assault" in Pakistan exercises

The staff of CTF150 with CO Cdre Byron behind the Peribuoy on the left. The task force has seized at least £161m worth of drugs in the Gulf.

Drug-busting task force seizes £161m of drugs in bid to tackle terrorism

The Portsmouth-based frigate working with a Royal Marines boarding team seized more than £10m worth of drugs

HMS Lancaster seizes more than £10m worth of drugs

HMS Lancaster. Picture: Royal Navy

US and UK sailors help merchant ship 'harassed' by Iranian attack vessels

Visitors look around HMS Mersey during her visit to Liverpool last month. Picture: LPhot Kevin Walton/Royal Navy.

Royal Navy: Portsmouth-based HMS Mersey and Royal Marines

Lancaster's sailors and Royal Marines pose with the haul of hashish:HMS Lancaster sailors and Royal Marines pictured alongside the haul of hashish. Picture: Royal Navy

HMS Lancaster seizes huge drug haul after helping evacuate civilians from Sudan

HMS Lancaster

HMS Lancaster to arrive at Port Sudan

HMS Lancaster

Portsmouth-based ship seizes anti-tank missiles

HMS Lancaster escorting USS Chinook and Monsoon.

HMS Lancaster commander praises crew for 'great start' to Gulf

HMS Montrose is set to return to the UK before Christmas, according to the Royal Navy.

HMS Montrose returning to the UK after four years of drugs-busting in the Gulf

HMS Lancaster

Portsmouth Royal Navy warship due to set sail on a three-year mission to Gulf

HMS Lancaster has set sail from Portsmouth for a short stint on a Nato mission following a major refit at the naval base.

Royal Navy frigate sets sail from Portsmouth to join Nato mission

HMS Lancaster under the Northern Lights

Frigate crew from Portsmouth enjoys a stunning light show in the Arctic

The operations room of one of the Royal Navy's most modern warships the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon during an air defence exercise off the Scottish, Hebride Isles

Image from the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon

Navy uses AI to defend against missile attack for the first time

An exercise at a previous Formidable Shield. Picture: Royal Navy

Warships joining NATO for biggest missile exercise of 2021

Georgia Davis and Michelle Feltham on the Round Tower, Old Portsmouth welcoming HMS Lancaster as it arrives in Portsmouth. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Family of crew welcome HMS Lancaster back to Portsmouth

Pictured: Ships 'Gunners' (left to right) Darach Winstanley-Jones and James Hearn monitor a screen during an air defence exercise on HMS Lancaster.

Credit: LPhot Dan Rosenbaum, HMS Lancaster

Portsmouth warships lead Baltic task force in a show of force to Russia

The crew of HMS Lancaster wave to family and friends at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour.

Families overjoyed as HMS Lancaster returns to Portsmouth

Norwegian Navy warship HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, pictured front, supported by Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Lancaster in the Arctic Circle. Photo: Royal Navy

Navy deploys warship to Arctic as quest to quell Russian dominance intensifies

HMS Lancaster returning to HM Naval Base Portsmouth on December 17, 2019 after completing a refit to keep her fighting-fit into the next decade. Photo: Royal Navy

HMS Lancaster in hot water over Irish fishing row

HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives in Portsmouth on July 2 2020. Picture: Sarah Standing

Pictures show HMS Queen Elizabeth returns home to Portsmouth

HMS Lancaster pictured returning to Portsmouth in December after her major refit. Photo: AB Chris Sellars/Royal Navy

Upgraded frigate ready for a new life at sea after overhaul

The ship's company on firefighting equipment used onboard HMS Lancaster. Photo: PO Phot Carl Osmond

Navy's most 'deadly frigate' HMS Lancaster fires guns at sea

Big-ticket items fitted on Lancaster are a new Artisan 3D radar and vastly-improved air-defence capabilities provided by Sea Ceptor, replacing Sea Wolf missiles which only possess about half the Sea Ceptor’s range.Photo: Royal Navy

HMS Lancaster returns to Portsmouth after major upgrade to make her more deadly ...

HMS Prince of Wales with Prince of Wales Prince Charles

Prince Charles will visit Portsmouth to commission HMS Prince of Wales

Norwegian anti-submarine frigate His Norwegian Majesty’s Ship (HNoMS) Thor Heyerdahl has joined the UK Carrier Strike Group as it transits east across the Atlantic following the WESTLANT19 deployment to the USA. The frigate joined HMS Queen Elizabeth, fellow submarine hunter HMS Northumberland and tanker RFA Tideforce to exercise as the Strike Group sailed towards UK waters. The ships’ rendezvous comes as NATO leaders prepare to meet in the UK, on the 70th anniversary of the alliance’s creation.

Royal Navy confirms when HMS Queen Elizabeth will return to Portsmouth