Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset returned home to Plymouth with a bang this morning, after a mission tracking Russian ships in UK waters. The ship spent more than 100 days at sea, mostly in the English Channel and North Sea, securing UK waters and monitoring the foreign ships as they sailed back to the Baltic from Syria.
Sailors on the vessel were greeted by friends and family as HMS Somerset headed back to Devonport naval base. The mission began on Christmas Day, ending festive leave early for the ship's 200-strong company.
The ship blasted a salute as it sailed through Plymouth Sound this morning (Friday, April 11). Visitors at Plymouth's waterfront reported seeing crewmembers stood on deck as Somerset headed home towards Devonport.
Somerset sailed around 18,000 nautical miles through mostly local waters as she tracked a Russian task group heading through the North Sea. Cdr Roberts said: “After many months away, it is with immense pride and joy that I welcome our return home from a successful deployment.
“The ship’s company has demonstrated unwavering commitment and professionalism in carrying out vital operations throughout UK sensitive waters and Northern Europe, from shadowing Russian naval activity to engaging with our allies and partners during exercises and operations.
“Our presence has made a real and tangible difference in delivering UK national security objectives and reinforcing NATO’s mission of collective security, unity, and deterrence. The work we have done, often in challenging conditions, has directly contributed to regional stability and reinforced the strength of our alliances.
“I want to be clear in acknowledging that none of this would have been possible without the extraordinary support of our families, friends and loved ones at home. Your patience, strength, and encouragement have been the backbone of our resilience throughout this deployment, and to all of them I offer my heartfelt thanks.
“It has been an honour to lead such a dedicated and professional team, and I have a deep pride in each member of the ship’s company for their service. We return home stronger, closer, and with a deep sense of accomplishment for the role we’ve played in defending our shared values and protecting UK interests.
“As we return to our home port, it’s now time to reunite with loved ones and all those whom have supported us, before enjoying some well-earned leave.”
HMS Somerset monitored Russian task groups on six occasions, amounting to a mission every two-and-a-half weeks. The ship also worked closely with NATO allies and made several port visits, including in Den Helder in the Netherlands, Bergen and Stavanger in Norway, Zeebrugge in Belgium and Hamburg in Germany, while also stopping in Clyde Naval Base, North Shields and Aberdeen in the UK.
Members of the public were able to step aboard the vessel twice on her venture - once in North Shields and again in Hamburg, where more than 1,000 people visited the ship.
The ship’s Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron spent 100 hours on sorties, gathering vital information on Russian ships but also tracking and simulating attacks on allied submarines during two weeks in the Norwegian Fjords on Exercise Arctic Dolphin. Submariners were undertaking the equivalent of the Royal Navy’s Perisher course –officially the Submarine Command Course – a punishing training process to become a front-line commander of a boat.
Somerset and her Merlin hunted and charged full speed at allied submarines during the exercise to push hopeful commanders to the limit, testing trainee captains as they attempt to qualify for front-line command but also to develop the ship’s own ability to detect, track and classify adversaries beneath the waves.
