HMS Portland becomes second warship to carry new long-range, ship-destroying missiles

HMS Portland has become the second Royal Navy warship to be fitted with new missiles capable of taking out enemy ships from more than 100 miles away.

Following HMS Somerset, the Plymouth-based frigate has now completed trials and is loading up with eight of the naval strike missiles (NSM) in Norway.

Now, the rest of the Type 23 and Type 45 destroyer fleet will follow, with the 400kg NSMs replacing the Harpoon system.

• Inside the factory that makes the eyes at sea for the Royal Navy's submarines
• How Royal Navy basic training takes recruits from zero to hero in just a few weeks
• King's Sword presented for the first time to Royal Marines officer at passing out parade

The NSM fills the gap between the Harpoon missile leaving service and its permanent successor, the 'future offensive surface weapon', taking its place.

The NSMs travel at speeds close to Mach 1 and, by skimming on the sea, can avoid detection and hit targets at more than 100 miles away.

The missile is also in service with the Norwegian, US and Polish navies.

HMS Portland finished her trials with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, Norway's number one supplier of defence systems, alongside the UK's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) at Haakonsvern Naval Base near Bergen.

Lieutenant Commander Gary Chambers, Portland's Weapon Engineer Officer, said the successful trials included close collaboration with their Norwegian counterparts.

"We are embracing this technology in defence of the nation and are equipped to fight and win," he said.

The training in Norway included Portland's crew training to onload and offload the weapons into their housing before a harbour trial put the whole system to the test.

The alignment and sea acceptance trials saw Silverbird, a telemetry variation of NSM, used and involved in high-speed manoeuvres to ensure the system can be used in difficult seas.

"With the completion of its harbour acceptance test, NSM has been successfully integrated into HMS Portland," said Øyvind Kolset, executive vice president of Missiles and Space at Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace.

"We are impressed by the professionalism of the Royal Navy and the close cooperation that played a key role in making this such a successful event."

HMS Portland will now head for a planned maintenance period before onloading NSM again for operations next year.