Royal Navy's HMS Northumberland completes operations in Arctic Circle.

According to information published by the Royal Navy on May 2, 2022, HMS Northumberland has completed four months at the sharp end of naval operations from the Mediterranean to the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle.
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British Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland (Picture source: Brian D)

The Type 23 frigate sailed more than 20,000 miles, escorting supply ships across the Baltic with the Joint Expeditionary Force, protecting the integrity of UK waters as the Royal Navy’s very high readiness warship, and working with NATO allies in the Arctic Circle.

After operating across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Arctic, Baltic, and the Gulf of Finland, the warship returned home to Plymouth.

Northumberland departed in January for anti-submarine warfare tasking around UK waters and the North Atlantic.

She trained with an Astute-class submarine to test her sailors’ abilities to deal with underwater threats and after a short pit-stop in Faslane, became the Royal Navy’s Fleet Ready Escort – the warship working at very high readiness to respond to security threats around the UK and anything the British Government required.

Expecting to return to anti-submarine warfare operations, Northumberland was tasked to head to the Baltic Sea in support of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF): a UK-led task force which is held at high readiness to respond to global events, including forces from the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.

In this case, Northumberland helped escort a ferry carrying Danish military equipment through the Baltic en-route to Estonia, through simulated hostile waters and accompanied by the Danish frigate Niels Juel – relishing the opportunity to train alongside her Danish military counterparts.

Next up for the ship was Exercise Cold Response – NATO’s largest military exercise in the Arctic for 30 years. In support, Northumberland headed to Norway and joined the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) - returning to her primary role as an anti-submarine warfare platform in support to the aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.

Towards the end of her time with NATO, she visited the Estonian capital Tallinn where her Ship’s Company took full advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a trip ashore.

During this four-month deployment, Northumberland sailed more than 20,000 miles across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Arctic, Baltic, and the Gulf of Finland.

HMS Northumberland is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is named after the Duke of Northumberland. She is the eighth RN ship to bear the name since the first 70-gun frigate in 1679, and the ninth in the class of Type 23 frigates. She is based at Devonport and is part of the Devonport Flotilla.