HMS Tamar completes first deployment of Indo-Pacific

Royal Navy vessel HMS Tamar visits the Australian city of Darwin this week after the successful completion of her first deployment in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

The vessel was in the region as part of Britain's permanent naval presence.

She will now visit the northern territory briefly for crew rotation, before continuing her permanent deployment in the region.

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Over the course of their five-year deployment, HMS Tamar and sister ship HMS Spey plan to work with allies and partners across the region and to visit countries including Australia, Japan, Fiji and Singapore.

They are permanently deployed to the Indo-Pacific region and, since deploying in September 2021, Tamar and Spey have travelled 25,000 nautical miles to Columbia, through the Panama Canal, transiting along the US West Coast and into the region via Hawaii.

Tamar's operational highlights have included patrolling the East China Sea to conduct monitoring and surveillance against illicit maritime activities and taking part in Exercise Bersama Shield in February.

Lieutenant Commander Matt Millyard, HMS Tamar's executive officer, said: "The 90m-long patrol vessel has a pivotal role in tackling shared security challenges and developing relationships.

"We're not a carrier, we're not a massive warship or an intimidating force, we're here as a force for good and a force for peace."

Highlights of HMS Spey's operations include helping the Tongan government following a volcanic eruption and tsunami in January and deploying a medical team to deliver COVID booster vaccinations and dental treatment to the people of the Pitcairn Islands in February.

Lieutenant Gareth Senior, HMS Spey's Marine Engineering Officer, said: "This deployment has seen us travel to some amazing places, interacting with a whole host of new cultures.

"It has been a privilege to work alongside local communities, government organisations and military forces in the Pacific."

Working alongside partners and allies, the ship is helping tackle security challenges and support nations against the impacts of climate change.