A double first for HMS Diamond

Only days into her OP Sophia tasking HMS Diamond, one of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers, has successfully completed the first ever boarding in support of the recently approved UN Security Council Resolution 2292, which counters illegal arms imports and exports to and from Libya.

Working with the EUNAVFOR task group in the Mediterranean, HMS Diamond’s mission is to build an understanding of trade patterns in the region and board merchant ships to validate their documentation and verify their cargo contains no illegal arms. 

The Ship is well prepared for her mission; with a fully trained crew, Wildcat aircraft, an embedded Royal Marine and Royal Navy Boarding Teams she can fulfil a wide range of tasks at any time.

HMS Diamond’s mission also saw the first operational deployment of the Wildcat helicopter from a Type 45 Destroyer, and the first deployment of Wildcat in the “overwatch” role, providing security for the boarding teams as they boarded the merchant ship.