Navy

Friends And Families Welcome HMS St Albans Home

HMS St Albans has returned home to a rapturous welcome from hundreds of friends and families in Portsmouth.

The Type 23 Frigate has been away for nearly nine months working in the Gulf, where she joined the US and French navies in the fight against Daesh.

Visiting ports in 10 different countries, she's worked with a number of different countries on live operations and exercises.

‘The Saint’ sailed more than 38,000 miles on Operation Kipion, working with carrier task groups, hosting key defence and diplomatic engagements and conducting operations to counter narcotics and weapon smuggling.

St Albans' Commanding Officer, Commander Richard Hutchings, said:

"I am immensely proud of my ship’s company and our achievements. Together we have been tested on operations and proved ourselves repeatedly in a demanding area of the world where Britain's reputation is strong. Our families and friends have given us superb support. It’s now our chance to be re-united and show our gratitude."

For many of the ship’s company, the deployment was their first on operations. Able Seaman Sea Specialist Kieran O’Hara said:

"It’s been good to put all of our training from the past year into practice for real. The highlight of the deployment for me has been working with the USS Harry S Truman carrier strike group and supporting their operations. It’s been a long trip with lots of hard work, so it will be really good to get home and see my family again."

St Albans achieved her first success days into her deployment, seizing 320kg of cannabis with an estimated value of £1m, which was destined for European markets.

In the Gulf she and her 220-strong crew worked alongside the French Charles de Gaulle carrier following the terrorist attacks in Paris and later the giant USS Harry S Truman. Both carriers were conducting airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.

The vessel also trained alongside the Royal Navy and Air Force of Oman, US Coastguard, US Navy ships and fellow RN mine countermeasures vessels in Exercise Khundjar Hadd, one of the Gulf’s largest multi-national naval exercises.

Earlier this year St Albans came to the rescue of two Pakistani fishermen whose vessel had lost power and was slowly sinking. The ship's engineers were unable to repair the stricken craft so both fishermen were safely returned to Pakistan.

A detachment of Royal Marines from 43 Commando conducted numerous boardings of suspicious vessels, working closely with the ship's own boarding team and supported by the flight team from 829 Squadron and their new Merlin Mk 2 helicopter.