A British deputy for CTF 151 against pirates
(B2) The British ship - HMS Portland (F-79) - could join the CTF 151 - the combined maritime force developed by the Americans to fight against pirates, announce the English press. The deputy head of this force would also be a British, "Commodore" Tim Lowe". With the command of Operation Atalanta, led by Rear-Admiral Phil Jones, the "Navy" therefore has a nice double. .
The military ship had crossed the Suez Canal before Christmas to join CTF 150 - the American-led maritime force in the fight against terrorism. He was already assigned to the fight against pirates, the smuggling of weapons and drugs.
HMS Portland is a type 23 frigate, of recent manufacture (1999 - commissioned in 2001), which can reach a speed of 30,8 knots (about 55 km / hour). His motto "Fear Dishonour" (translated into English - and not the other way around! - as "Fear Dishonour"). It is the eighth Navy ship to bear this name, inherited from the Dukes of Portland - the Cavendish-Bentinck family - one of whose worthy successors is better known as David Archer, a series on BBC 4.
The first Navy ship to bear this name had... burned, a voluntary action by English sailors to avoid falling into French hands... in 1692. Another homonymous ship had participated in the blockade of the American rebels during the War of Independence, before ending his career as a prison ship. The seventh of the name had been captured by the Japanese before being sunk by the Americans.
(NGV)
(Photo: British Navy)