The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
HMS Montrose shipshape for historic escort duty
REFIT: Frigate has new command and missile systems after extensive work
HMS Montrose has undergone a major refit ahead of an important role involving its Courier Country sister ship that will be the flagship of the UK Navy fleet.
The Type 23 frigate named after the Angus town is due to escort Rosyth-built aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the US to begin delayed F-35 trials in the summer.
Under the complex refit, HMS Montrose has received a new command-and-control system, Sea Ceptor missile system and advanced Artisan radar capability.
Completion of the 25-year-old frigate’s second major refit was marked at an event in which Devonport flotilla commander Commodore Paul Halton spoke of the “exciting times ahead” for the 4,900 ton vessel and her crew.
“This is the most important day in the life of a ship with all that follows when you, as the ship’s company, take ownership of your ship following the extensive work that has finally been completed,” he said.
“There are exciting times ahead, including getting ready for sea, going to sea and the work-up of all the systems – with the newness of Sea Ceptor, for instance.
“The most significant tasking will be escort to the new carrier when she goes to the eastern seaboard of the US. I hope this will act as an extra motivation for the busier days ahead.”
Throughout its lifetime, the Type 23 frigate has been at the forefront of British overseas activity.
The vessels are regularly used in drug-interdiction raids in the Caribbean which have seized millions of pounds in cocaine or heroin.
They have also been used in disaster relief operations including the evacuation of British civilians from Libya in 2011 during Operation Ellamy.
HMS Queen Elizabeth was named at the Fife yard in the summer of 2014 by Her Majesty The Queen and will be capable of carrying 40 aircraft, including 35 F-35 stealth fighters.