HMS Argyll celebrates 30 years of service

HMS Argyll has become Britain's longest-serving frigate after totalling 30 years of service – travelling the equivalent of 32 times around the globe.

The Plymouth-based warship has recently completed its involvement in joining NATO allies in the largest anti-missile/air exercise at sea in the Western Hemisphere.

An afternoon of flight-deck celebrations at sea in the Atlantic marked the major milestone.

The frigate's 18th commanding officer, Commander Charlie Wheen, gathered the bulk of his 200-strong ship's company for a spot of cake and athletics.

He says she remains at the forefront of naval technology and capability.

"Argyll is a special ship, with a fantastic team and a well-deserved reputation for operational success," Cdr Wheen said.

"She is hugely capable and has a great deal still to offer. I very much look forward to meeting whatever challenges the future brings."

When HMS Argyll was commissioned in to the Fleet in the spring of 1991, 105 members of Argyll's current ship's company had not been born.

Over a long career at sea, Argyll has, to date, steamed more than 685,000 nautical miles – enough to go around the world 32 times – under the command of 18 commanding officers.

She has deployed operationally to Asia-Pacific, the USA, the Caribbean, Gulf, West Africa and Sierra Leone.

On the way back from a nine-month deployment in 2019, she rescued 27 sailors from the burning MV Grande America, leading to Operational Honours for two of her team, and a Sun Military award for 'Hero Unit Overseas'.

Despite being designed and laid down in the 1980s, the tech inside the frigate remains cutting edge.

This was demonstrated during NATO's Formidable Shield exercise, with Argyll tracking supersonic ballistic targets and developing future tactics for the Sea Ceptor missile system which protects not just her sisters, but also the new generation of Type 26 frigates

After Formidable Shield, Argyll is spending the rest of the UK on operations around the UK before entering a period of maintenance next year.

Cover image: Cake being cut by Commander Charlie Wheen and ET Hayden Jenkins, the youngest member of the team (Picture: MOD).