HMS Somerset in Indian Ocean, 2011
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Somerset
OperatorRoyal Navy
OrderedJanuary 1992
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down12 October 1992
Launched25 June 1994
Sponsored byLady Layard
Commissioned20 September 1996
RefitMajor 2012-2013, LIFEX 2019 onwards
HomeportHMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Identification
Motto
  • Foy pour Devoir
  • "Faith for Duty"
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeType 23 Frigate
Displacement4,900 t (4,800 long tons; 5,400 short tons)[1]
Length133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam16.1 m (52 ft 10 in)
Draught7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
SpeedIn excess of 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range7,500 nautical miles (14,000 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement185 (accommodation for up to 205)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried
  • 1 × Wildcat HMA2, armed with:
    • 4 × Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (full operating capability projected from 2026),[2] or,
    • 2 × Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes, or
    • 20 × Martlet multirole air-surface missiles (from 2021)
    • Mk 11 depth charges
  • or
  • 1 × Westland Merlin HM2, armed with;
  • 4 × anti submarine torpedoes
Aviation facilities

HMS Somerset is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the eleventh ship of the class to join the fleet since 1989. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd on the River Clyde, in Scotland and was launched in June 1994 by Lady Elspeth Layard, wife of then 2nd Sea Lord Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command Admiral Sir Michael Layard. She entered service in 1996. Lady Layard is the ship's sponsor. She is named after the Dukedom of Somerset.

The fourth Somerset to serve in the Royal Navy, she has inherited four battle honours from previous ships of the name; Vigo Bay (1702), Velez Malaga (1704), Louisburg (1758) and Quebec (1759). The previous ships all served during the 18th century and ensured that the name Somerset played a significant part in that period of naval history.

Somerset's home port is HMNB Devonport. The ship has the Freedom of the City of Wells and is also affiliated with the County of Somerset, the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the 2nd and 4th Battalions of The Rifles (inherited from affiliation with the Royal Green Jackets), TS Weston and TS Queen Elizabeth Sea Cadet Units, Downside, Baytree and Helles Schools, Bridgwater College and the Somerset Legion House of The Royal British Legion. The 19th Duke of Somerset takes a keen interest in the ship and is a regular visitor, and the ship also hosted Harry Patch, Simon Weston (in place of Johnson Beharry) and Marcus Trescothick whilst docked at Avonmouth for a remembrance service to launch the 2008 British Legion Poppy Appeal.[8]

Operational history

1996–2000

On 2 November 1999, Somerset returned briefly to Sierra Leone to stand by for a possible evacuation of British nationals during a breakdown in the peace talks, though after several days of the talks resumed and Somerset was withdrawn.[9]

2001–2010

In 2007, the first at-sea firing trials of the UK Royal Navy's new 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun system were completed by Somerset.[10]

On 18 February 2009, Somerset sailed from Devonport as part of the Taurus 09 deployment under Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, Commodore Peter Hudson. She was joined on this deployment by landing platform dock Bulwark as Hudson's flagship, landing platform helicopter Ocean, Type 23 frigate Argyll and four ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[11] In June 2009, she took part in exercise Bersama Shield with Ocean and RFA Wave Ruler off the Malay Peninsula.[12]

In May 2010 she sailed for Operation Telic, conducting boarding operations and oil platform protection operations in the Persian Gulf.

2011–2021

On 3 May 2012, she began a refit at the Devonport Royal Dockyard operated by the Babcock International Group. The refit was expected to take nine months.[13] She took part in Exercise Joint Warrior 2013.[14] In January 2015, Somerset took part in the search for the crew of the Cyprus-registered cement carrier Cemfjord, which had capsized in the Pentland Firth.[15]

Somerset moored alongside the World War II cruiser Belfast on the Thames in London

On 23 April 2015, with the Border Force cutter Valiant, she intercepted the Tanzanian-registered tug Hamal in the North Sea about 100 miles (160 km) off Aberdeen, leading to the seizure of more than three tons of cocaine, believed to be at the time the single largest seizure of a Class A drug in the UK.[16] In Autumn 2015, she carried out security patrols in support of the European Heads of Government meeting in Malta.[17] In November 2015, Somerset visited Valencia - the first Royal Navy ship to do so in a number of years.[18] While there, she met a delegation led by Juan Carlos Valderrama Zurián, the Central Government Representative for the Valencia region, and hosted a lunch to thank representatives of various Armed Forces charities for their work.[18] In December 2015, she returned to port after performing guard duties at the 2015 CHOGM.[19]

In March 2016, as the Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, a tanker and a tug entered the United Kingdom's exclusive economic zone, they were intercepted and escorted by Somerset.[20] Somerset was again tasked with escorting a Russian vessel in May 2017 when she monitored the Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar as it transited the English Channel.[21] Somerset was awarded the 'Fleet Frigate Effectiveness Trophy' for 2017. A Royal Navy press release said; "HMS Somerset has been awarded the accolade for being the most successful and versatile of all of the Royal Navy’s frigates, which are widely considered to be the workhorses of the fleet."[22]

Somerset began a major upgrade in November 2018 and officially returned to service in March 2022.[23]

2022–present

In August 2022, it was reported that the ship had suffered a "major systems failure" and had to be tied up in Rosyth for investigation and potential repair.[24] However, pursuant to repairs, the frigate was then reported to have returned to sea later the same evening.[25]

In 2022, Somerset spent 52 days at sea.[26]

In January 2023, work began on installing Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) on Somerset to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missiles.[27][28] Somerset was to be the first Royal Navy ship to be fitted with Naval Strike Missiles and the removal of the obsolete Harpoon racks and blast deflectors was completed in January 2023.[29] However, reported "persistent defects" in the ship since she emerged from refit in 2022 forced her back into dry dock on three occasions. As of September 2023, she was again in dry dock with the planned fitting of NSM and the testing of other key systems delayed. [30] The ship was reported to have returned to sea in October.[31] In December, HMS Somerset became the first Royal Navy warship to go to sea with NSM.[32]

Affiliations

References

  1. ^ "Type 23 Frigate". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Royal Navy's Sea Venom light anti-ship missile full operating capability delayed until 2026". Navy Lookout. 21 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Royal Navy unveiled Sea Ceptor and launched first user group at DSEI 2017".
  4. ^ Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (18 December 2023). "@NavyLookout First view of Royal Navy warship equipped with the Naval Strike Missile" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (14 October 2023). "@NavyLookout Good to see @HMSSomerset returning to sea today following a series of issues that have plagued the ship post-refit" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (31 January 2023). "Royal Navy Begins NSM Anti-Ship Missile Upgrade On Type 23 Frigate". Naval News. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  7. ^ "In focus: the Fleet Solid Support ship design". Navy Lookout. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. ^ Scott, Aleisha (30 October 2008). "Ypres veteran Harry Patch, 110, launches poppy appeal". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  9. ^ Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1591148128.
  10. ^ Scott, Richard (30 October 2007). "ASCG enhances Type 23 close-in defence". Jane's International Defence Review. Archived from the original on 1 November 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  11. ^ "TAURUS 09". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  12. ^ "HMS Ocean (LPH01) Helicopter Carrier". Naval Technology. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Babcock's Devonport Yard Begins Refit of HMS Somerset". Shipbuilding Tribune. 3 May 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Scotland set to host Exercise Joint Warrior". Royal Navy. 2 October 2013. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  15. ^ "Missing crew search suspended". The Orcadian. 4 January 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  16. ^ "£500m drugs bust 'UK's biggest ever'". BBC News. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  17. ^ Dalli, Miriam (26 November 2015). "Suspension of Schengen borders to remain in place until end of year". Malta Today. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Spanish eyes on Somerset". Navy News. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  19. ^ "HMS Somerset returns from Mediterranean action". Royal Navy. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  20. ^ "HMS Somerset escorts Russian task group". Royal Navy. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Royal Navy escorts Russian submarine through English Channel". Royal Navy. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  22. ^ Allison, George (18 January 2018). "HMS Somerset wins Fleet Frigate Effectiveness Trophy". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  23. ^ "Frigate HMS Somerset returns to sea after four years following massive revamp".
  24. ^ Allison, George (22 August 2022). "HMS Somerset suffers major systems failure after leak". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  25. ^ Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (22 August 2022). "@HMSSomerset sails from Crombie heading back to sea this evening after completing repairs to serious defect that emerged after LIFEX refit" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Allison, George (1 June 2023). "Data reveals number of days warships spent at sea last year". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  27. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (31 January 2023). "Royal Navy Begins NSM Anti-Ship Missile Upgrade On Type 23 Frigate". Naval News. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  28. ^ "@HMSSOMERSET Work begins to upgrade our anti surface warfare capability with our new Naval Strike Missile". HMS Somerset. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ "Snapshot: The Royal Navy escort fleet in March 2023". navylookout.com. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  30. ^ "The struggle to get HMS Somerset back to sea". Navy Lookout. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  31. ^ Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (14 October 2023). "@NavyLookout Good to see @HMSSomerset returning to sea today following a series of issues that have plagued the ship post-refit" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ Navy Lookout [@NavyLookout] (18 December 2023). "@NavyLookout First view of Royal Navy warship equipped with the Naval Strike Missile" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 December 2023 – via Twitter.

External links

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Type 23 frigates
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