HMS Monmouth (F235)

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HMS Monmouth was the sixth Duke-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was the seventh ship to bear the name and was launched by Lady Eaton in 1991, being commissioned two years later.

Affectionately known as "The Black Duke", Monmouth was the only ship in service with the Royal Navy that has its name painted in black (all other RN vessels have their name in red) and flew a plain black flag in addition to the ensign. This is due to the dissolution of the title and the blacking out of the coat of arms of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685 following the Monmouth Rebellion against James II of England.Template:Clarify Until her decommissioning, Monmouth carried the most battle honours of any ship name that was serving in the Royal Navy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> HMS Monmouth was decommissioned on the 30 June 2021 and departed Portsmouth to be broken up in April 2025.

Construction and career

1993–2000

Monmouth visited Wellington, New Zealand in June 1995 in company with Template:RFAux, the first UK or US warship to visit New Zealand since the 1985 ANZUS dispute.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In February 1997, while being prepared for launch in poor weather, MonmouthTemplate:'s Lynx helicopter slid off the side of the flight deck and sank off the Devon coast. The aircraft's crew were rescued by the ship's sea boat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 1997, Monmouth, in company with Template:Ship and Template:Ship, stood by off Pointe Noire in West Africa on Operation Kingfisher in readiness for evacuation in the aftermath of the First Congo War.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 11 February 1998, Monmouth was ordered to stand by off Sierra Leone as part of Operation Resilient to provide humanitarian assistance during the Sierra Leone Civil War. In 1999 Monmouth became the first major Royal Navy vessel to visit Dublin, Ireland, since the 1960s.

2001–2010

In early 2004 the ship was assigned to the Atlantic Patrol Task North. Between late 2004 and 2006 she was commanded by Jerry Kyd. In 2006 Monmouth underwent operational sea training, conducted by Flag Officer Sea Training, in which she spent six weeks fighting off staged attacks by ships and submarines.

Monmouth returned to berth at her home port HMNB Devonport on 3 December 2007 having completed a circumnavigation of the globe, visiting Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii and taking part in a FPDA exercise. In 2008 she went into refit and in 2009 deployed to the Persian Gulf, returning in April 2010. On 27 May 2010, she escorted the fleet of "little ships" commemorating the 70th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk on 27 May – 4 June 1940 of approximately 340,000 British and French soldiers, and one of the most celebrated military events in British history.

2011 onwards

Monmouth spent June 2011 in the Indian Ocean patrolling the waters off Somalia as part of the ongoing multi-national anti-piracy operations in the region. The deployment also saw her spend some time in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles where she took part in the islands' independence celebrations.<ref name="navynews">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

In February 2012, Monmouth began a six-week refit period at Devonport's frigate shed, following on from a seven-month deployment in the Indian Ocean which began in 2011. For the refit, the ship was taken out of the water into an enclosed dry-dock.<ref name="navynews2">Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2013, she returned to her home port after a seven-month mission to the Persian Gulf.<ref name="royalnavy">Template:Cite web</ref> Monmouth also hosted an International Principal Warfare Officer's course in 2013.<ref name="royalnavy2">Template:Cite web</ref> She participated in Exercise Joint Warrior in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From October 2013, Monmouth was operating in home waters as the Fleet Ready Escort.

In June 2015, Monmouth emerged from an 18-month refit in Devonport for sea trials<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and made her first ever visit to Hamburg, Germany, in December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2016, Monmouth and her sister Template:HMS participated in NATO exercise Dynamic Guard in Norwegian waters.<ref name="royalnavy3">Template:Cite web</ref> In August, Monmouth, in company with Template:HMS and Template:RFAux, anchored off Bournemouth for the town's annual air festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By September, she was exercising in Canadian waters and was involved in the rescue of an injured Canadian fisherman Template:Convert east of Nova Scotia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2017, Monmouth sailed from Devonport to relieve Template:HMS in the Persian Gulf;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in May she was participating in Combined Task Force 150 when they stopped and searched a fishing boat in the Indian Ocean discovering Template:Cvt of cannabis and Template:Cvt of heroin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2017, MonmouthTemplate:'s Wildcat rescued a crewman from the sunken merchant tanker Rama 2 and transferred them to Template:RFAux for treatment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She returned to the UK in time for Christmas 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Monmouth was deployed on 23 August 2018 from Plymouth as escort for the aircraft carrier Template:HMS, as she sailed to the eastern seaboard of the United States for 'Westlant 18', during which the carrier conducted F-35 Lightning II flying trials. The task group consisted of Template:RFAux and possibly a Royal Navy submarine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> HMS MonmouthTemplate:'s Wildcat HMA2 helicopter, nicknamed "Blackjack", of 213 Flight, 815 NAS, became the first Wildcat to land aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth on 3 September 2018.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

The ship prepared to go into refit in early 2019, and her ship's company became the Starboard crew of sister ship Template:HMS which is forward-deployed to Bahrain until 2022. By the end of 2020 the ship was reported to have been stripped of weapons and sensors and laid up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 22 March 2021, it was announced that both Type 23 frigates Monmouth and Montrose would be decommissioned earlier than planned as part of the Ministry of Defence's Integrated Review.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of this decision, Monmouth did not undergo a life extension refit as other members of her class have, and is currently awaiting disposal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monmouth was decommissioned on 30 June 2021.<ref name="Decom">Template:Cite web</ref> She was the only Type 23 frigate - British or Chilean - to never receive the Sea Ceptor missile system. Monmouth left Portsmouth for the last time bound for Aliağa in Turkey in April 2025 to be broken up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Affiliations

References

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