NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010 3
Up and at ’em
DEVONPORT-based frigate “This will be a demanding The presence of numerous
guard the strategic shipping routes
HMS Chatham has taken
operational deployment, and it ships and task groups from various between Europe and the Middle
the place of sister ship HMS
is always difficult being navies and organisations, and Far East which converge in
Cornwall in the fight against
separated from families including the EU, in the the approaches to the Red Sea.
piracy.
and loved ones for such region means Chatham Chatham and her NATO allies
a long time, but we are will have a crucial role in will be monitoring these vital
The Type 22 warship sailed
firmly focussed on the liaison, which is essential supply lines whilst also providing
from Devonport early in the New
task ahead and are if naval assets are to be a reassuring presence in the area.
Year to head a NATO task group
now eager for HMS used most efficiently. The past year has been a busy
countering pirates off Somalia in
Chatham to take Maritime security
one for Chatham, including a
East Africa.
on this important operations began as
period of maintenance in dry-dock,
Chatham – whose battlecry is
role, which we have soon as she left the
before completing an intensive
“Up and at ’em” – will be away
spent many months West Country, with
series of sea trials to prove her
from home for seven months, with
preparing for.” the frigate monitoring
systems and equipment.
much of her time spent in the Gulf
Chatham will be sea lanes and shipping
The latter part of 2009 was
of Aden, the Somali Basin and off
flagship to the Standing routes for unusual or
spent completing demanding
the Horn of Africa.
NATO Maritime Group 2 suspicious activity – a task
training under the close scrutiny
Commanding Officer Cdr
(SNMG2), which is headed by she continued as she made her
of staff from Flag Officer Sea
Simon Huntington said: “HMS
Cdre Steve Chick. way through the Mediterranean
Training (FOST) in Devonport.
Chatham is deploying to the
And as flagship she will also and east of the Suez Canal.
This ensured her crew is
Middle East to join NATO forces
become the lead vessel for The task group she heads will
ready for any task, whether it be
in the fight against piracy as part of
Operation Ocean Shield, the include warships from Spain,
peacekeeping, humanitarian aid,
the international effort to improve
NATO contribution to counter- Turkey, Greece and the USA.
maritime security operations or
maritime security in the region.
piracy operations off Somalia. Their primary role will be to
conflict.
“We are fully trained for the The ship’s company used
task and our ship is extremely well Christmas to complete final
equipped for the challenges that
we will face.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Owen King
preparations and to take leave
before departure.
003_NN_feb.indd 1 22/1/10 14:18:33
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