Families Welcome HMS Portland Home After Nine Months At Sea

The Royal Navy frigate returned home on Friday after a nine-months deployment.

More than 650 family members and friends welcomed home their loved ones as they returned to HM Naval Base Devonport.

Since leaving last June, HMS Portland has sailed over 40,000 miles through the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian, Pacific and South Atlantic oceans. 

She conducted counter narcotics operations and maritime security missions in chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandeb strait. 

HMS Portland’s Captain Paul Stroude said:

"There are the challenges of climate and the normal navigational challenges that you experience in these places, but (...) the real challenge is maintaining that constant alertness and defensive readiness against a range of threats that you might face as you go through." 

On her way home, the HMS Portland embarked 42 family members on board to give them an insight into life at sea.

HMS Portland will now be fitted with new radars and the Sea Ceptor missile system while the crew get some rest.