HMS St Albans joins Royal Saudi Navy in maritime security operations

The Royal Navy frigate has just finished working with the Royal Saudi Navy ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Gulf.

HMS St Albans spent two days in the company of ships from Saudi Arabia in direct support of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force 152. 

Together they conducted exercises and exchanged crucial information about operations in the Central Arabian Gulf that have increased understanding and means they can operate more effectively together in one of the most important areas of sea in the world.

CTF152 officers from the US and Royal Saudi Navies sailed with HMS St Albans for the period to offer local knowledge and expertise. 

Without its own dedicated ships, CTF152 relies on CMF partners providing ships to support its effort in the Joint Operating Area.

The Task Force is truly ‘combined’ with officers from Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States working together to increase maritime security in the Gulf. 

As well as providing a visible presence and deterring any potential terrorist threats in the Gulf, HMS St Albans’ sea boat conducted multiple visits to dhows in the area to provide any assistance they required.

Lieutenant Jon Maumy RN, lead planner for the Task Force, who also used to be one of St Albans’ helicopter pilots, said: “Having such a capable ship working directly for the Task Force was fantastic and it was exciting to see what she would be able to achieve for us.”