HMS Trent tours Mediterranean in preparation for Africa mission

HMS Trent is ready to resume frontline operations after undergoing extensive maintenance in Gibraltar and will deploy to Africa later this summer. 

The offshore patrol vessel has been at sea since late May, visiting the ports of Lisbon and Naples, as her 40-strong ship's company brings her back to life with the Fleet Operational Standard and Training (FOST) assessors who determine the 2,000-tonne warship is ready to get back to business.

Trent is a permanently forward-deployed naval vessel, commissioned into the Royal Navy in 2020, tasked with upholding maritime security and UK interests in the Mediterranean and around Africa.

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While around the coast of Africa, the third of five second-generation River-class ships will have an embarked team of Royal Marines from 42 Commando training military and law enforcement agencies in the region.

They will learn about the 'pattern of life' in the area of operations, vital to finding terrorists, pirates and smugglers among the hundreds of other boats and ships in the region.

Equally important to understanding traffic off the Iberian Peninsula and Africa's western seaboard is the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC) in Lisbon.

With the ship berthed in Portugal's capital, the command team, led by Commander Tim Langford, Trent’s Commanding Officer, headed to the headquarters, whose focus is on the illegal trafficking of drugs in the North and South Atlantic.

After further training in the Med, the ship spent a few days in Naples, where the sailors enjoyed a break to visit the nearby ruins of Pompeii and supported UK Ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, as he hosted an official birthday celebration for HM The King.

The crew also met US Sixth Fleet, who shared their knowledge of recent activity off West Africa.

Commander Langford said: "I'm delighted that Trent's ship's company was able to support such a successful visit to Naples. 

"As we look forward to our impending deployment it marks the ship's return to delivery of forward deployed regional and defence engagement."

Before she begins her West African mission, Trent has some final bespoke training to complete under the watchful eye of FOST, integrating the boarding team from 42 Commando and embarking a team from 700X Naval Air Squadron to exploit drone technology while deployed.