HMS Richmond towed out of Devonport en route to being scrapped in Portsmouth

A Type 23 frigate has been towed out of HMNB Devonport on her way to Portsmouth prior to being scrapped. 

HMS Richmond is being decommissioned as the maritime service looks to invest in becoming a Hybrid Navy, mixing traditional crewed vessels with uncrewed autonomous systems. 

The Duke-class warship, first launched in 1993, primarily served as an anti-submarine warfare vessel. 

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Her role has been very diverse, as she has been involved in operations, including tackling people trafficking, counter-narcotics and anti-piracy missions. 

She most recently played a vital role in last year's Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployment to the Indo-Pacific, providing protection and reassurance alongside the aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales. 

"HMS Richmond played a key role in safeguarding the UK's security and interests worldwide," Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, Fleet Commander, said. 

"This marks a significant step in the Royal Navy's evolution towards a Hybrid Navy, combining cutting-edge technology with proven capability to meet future maritime challenges."

The vessel, which is equipped with the Naval Strike Missile and built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, visited a host of countries during her deployment with the CSG, such as the Philippines and Vietnam. 

During her carrier strike deployment, she also completed a rare transit of the Taiwan Strait. 

Her crossing was only the third transit of a UK ship since 2022 and was carried out with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins. 

In 2024, she used her Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea. 

It was the first surface-to-air engagement and use of Sea Ceptor missiles by a Type 23 frigate. 

Amongst her more interesting deployments, she was part of a convoy of vessels, with the likes of HMS Chatham, HMS Marlborough and HMAS Anzac, which fired naval gunfire support for 40 Command's amphibious assault in the Al Faw peninsula in Iraq in 2003, according to the Royal Navy.