Monday 20 / May / 2024
Muscat: One of the most advanced and powerful British warships anchored at the Port Sultan Qaboos in Muttrah yesterday, and will help bolster the United Kingdom’s ties with the Sultanate, the Royal Navy said during a tour of the ship.
The HMS Defender D36, the fifth most powerful British Royal Navy Six Type 45 Destroyer, has just returned from operations in the Arabian Gulf, supporting French vessels attacking Daesh in Syria and Iraq, according to Sean Trevethan, weapons engineer at the HMS Defender.
“We are very happy to be here, after four months of being on operations. We’re very fortunate to have such good relations with Oman and to come into Muscat for a period of sustainment and to give the shipping team some rest and recuperation and to resupply it in order to continue with our operations,” he stated.
Trevethan added that the ship and its staff will stay anchored in Oman for five days to boost bilateral relations with the Sultanate. Omani military officials had visited the ship yesterday for a demonstration of the HMS Defender.
According to Trevethan, the HMS Defender is the first of such vessels to return to the Arabian Gulf within a year, as it is the second newest ship of the Navy, with a highly experienced staff and advanced capabilities.
“We have made a promise to have one such ship in the Gulf all year round,” he said.
The HMS Defender, capable of carrying out a wide range of operations, including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, disaster relief work and surveillance operations, as well as high intensity fighting, has the most advanced weaponry and radar systems available, Trevethan told the Times of Oman.
Lieutenant Tom Thicknesse, the ship’s Air Director, explained during a tour in the control room that the HMS Defender, due to its advanced radar systems, is capable of tracking down suspicious aircraft, as well as other vessels, which pose a threat.
“We have highly experienced staff, who can take action if needed,” he stated.
Commanding Officer of the HMS Defender, Stephen Higham lauded the relationship that the United Kingdom has with Oman.
“Nobody understands the dynamics in the Gulf region better than the Omanis,” Higham said, adding that he appreciated the kindness and hospitality shown to him by the Omani government, whenever the Royal Navy anchored its ships in Oman, before returning to operations.
“We are on constant operations, working with French and American aircraft carriers, delivering strikes against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. We cannot do that unless we have the support of our friends, particularly the Omanis.”
Higham stressed the need for maintaining a base in Oman to support operations in the region.
“This two billion dollar ship, with some of the most advanced and complex technology and machinery afloat anywhere in the world, requires constant maintenance. We value Oman’s role as a base for sustaining our ships, as well as for sustaining the relationship with Oman,” Higham said.
He also told the Times of Oman that he sees great potential in the new port of Duqm as a base for hosting British ships.
“It’s important for us to always have flexibility. It makes sense to use Duqm as a sustainable base for our operations in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden.
Higham said that after its current, second deployment, the HMS Defender will arrive in the United Kingdom in July for a period of extensive maintenance due to its complex equipment. The ship will be out of commission for almost a year, he said.
