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HMS Trent deploys for Mediterranean mission
31 March 2021
HMS Trent sailed today for an enduring forward deployment with a focus on African and southern European security as announced during the Government’s Integrated Review on Defence and foreign policy.
She will use Gibraltar as a pivot from which to patrol across the Mediterranean and south into the tropical waters of the Atlantic in the Gulf of Guinea.
The crew taking Trent to the Mediterranean lined the upper deck observing Procedure Alpha to mark her last departure from Portsmouth for the foreseeable future.
We will spend time working in the Mediterranean initially, and as the restrictions we face on international engagement and port visits are rolled back there will be time to connect more deeply with the communities along the coasts of southern Europe and north and west Africa.
Commanding Officer, Commander Tom Knott, said: “This promises to be an outstanding deployment for Trent’s ship’s company and simultaneously a demonstration of the United Kingdom’s pledge to defending maritime security across the globe and engaging with nations on our shared interests.
“We will spend time working in the Mediterranean initially, and as the restrictions we face on international engagement and port visits are rolled back there will be time to connect more deeply with the communities along the coasts of southern Europe and north and west Africa.”
While Trent is not expected to return to her home base of Portsmouth for several years, members of her ship’s company will rotate in and out periodically. This will allow them time to take leave and training courses while their shipmates keep her at sea for about 300 days a year.