Sister ships HMS Spey and HMS Tamar reunite in Japan with stunning backdrop of Mount Fuji

Royal Navy warships HMS Spey and HMS Tamar have reunited in Japan.

The rare meeting of the sister ships came as Spey sailed from Yokohama, Japan.

HMS Tamar tweeted its delight at the "sister act" reuniting, adding that its "scheduled maintenance period" and watch rotation" was complete and they now return to sea and resume operations with allies and partners across the region.

• HMS Spey and HMS Tamar depart Portsmouth for Indo-Pacific deployment
• HMS Spey takes part in Australia's biggest military exercise
• Navy warship visits fourth smallest country on the planet – renewing ties after 97 years

The Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels departed Portsmouth in September last year to begin their deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

They departed Portsmouth in January 2022 and will be deployed from the east of Africa to the west coast of the USA over five years.

Acting as the eyes and ears of the Royal Navy, both ships work with Britain's allies to carry out security patrols to deal with drug running, smuggling, terrorism and other illegal activities.

The 'greenest' warships in the Royal Navy have been taking part in exercises with other navies and armed forces, with their patrol area stretching across both the Indian and Pacific oceans – extending as far north as the Bering Sea and as far south as Tasmania and New Zealand.

With no permanent home being assigned to the pair, they will use Pacific bases and ports which best meet their needs and mission.

HMS Tamar completed her first deployment in the Indo-Asia Pacific region in June. 

The ship in August became the first British warship to visit the fourth smallest country on the planet in nearly 100 years during an international goodwill mission.

In September, the sister ship HMS Spey joined Australia's biggest military exercise, Kakadu.

The exercise, in northern Australia, takes place every two years, focusing on the ability of the Australian Navy and partners and allies to operate and fight together – it was the first time a Royal Navy warship had taken part.

Earlier in the year, the crew from Spey had their warmest welcome since deploying to the Indo-Pacific last September, spending a week with the military and civilian populations of Fiji.

HMS Spey recently arrived off Yokohama to the "stunning and unmistakable" backdrop of Mount Fuji.

Spey posted on Twitter that the ship will "now commence a short scheduled maintenance period and complete a watch rotation seeing Red Watch return and saying goodbye to White Watch for a well-earned break".