HMS Portland (F79)

HMS Portland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the eighth ship to bear the name and is the fifteenth and penultimate ship of the 'Duke' class of frigates.

Operational history
The ship was accepted into service by the Royal Navy on 15 December 2000 and was commissioned on 3 May the following year. Present at the commissioning ceremony was Portland's sponsor Lady Brigstocke, wife of Admiral Sir John Brigstocke, a former Second Sea Lord. Lady Brigstocke launched the ship in 1999.

During sea trials Portland attained a top speed of 30.8 kn, the fastest speed attained by any Type 23 frigate at that time.

Portland assisted in the search for men lost from a capsized yacht on 3 February 2007.

She was deployed to the Caribbean for seven months in 2007, intercepting 3.5 tonnes of cocaine in cooperation with a United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) and conducting disaster relief in Belize following Hurricane Dean.

In April 2008, Portland visited Liverpool with HMS Mersey and berthed at the cruise liner terminal at Princes Dock.

In June 2009 while taking part in anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, Portland intercepted ten pirates. However, as they were not caught in the immediate act of piracy the vessel was unable legally to detain them.

In late April 2010, Portland relieved HMS York (D98) on the Atlantic Patrol Task (South).

June 2011 saw Portland conducting night Naval Gunnery practice off Gibraltar in the Mediterranean. Towards the end of the month she sailed to Edinburgh to take part in Armed Forces Day. She is the first major warship in the Royal Navy to be commanded by a woman; Commander Sarah West assumed command of HMS Portland on 21 May 2012. Portland spent 2012 at Rosyth in a 50-week refit that saw her upgraded with Sonar 2087, new IT systems, Sea Wolf mid-life overhaul, gun replacements, galley refurbishment and accommodation improvements. She left Rosyth on 14 December 2012 for three months of sea trials.

In August 2013, she was announced as the Fleet Ready Escort for the next two months. She is due to participate in Exercise Joint Warrior 2013.

Affiliations

 * Irish Guards
 * The Royal Wessex Yeomanry
 * Worshipful Company of Scriveners
 * Dorset Chamber of Commerce