Reservist completes fulfilling deployment with HMS Spey

The Royal Naval Reservist from HMS Scotia was mobilised for 12 months as a seamanship specialist, joining HMS Spey as she undertook her long-term mission in the Indo-Pacific region.

Alongside her sister ship, HMS Tamar, the River-Class Batch II Overseas Patrol Ship forms part of the Royal Navy’s permanent presence in the Pacific, covering a vast region from the eastern coast of Africa to the western seaboard of North America.

During AB Brown’s time onboard HMS Spey, the ship visited 11 different countries, including Australia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea.

This also gave Steven the opportunity to see first-hand the valuable contribution HMS Spey and Tamar make to the UK’s global presence. 

Steven said: “Mobilising onboard HMS Spey was an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience for my career. It was the culmination of all the work I had put into the Reserves, and I am grateful my civilian employer was equally enthusiastic about me serving.

“The crew was welcoming and happy to teach me the ropes—figuratively and literally.”

He participated in joint operations with the Philippines, United States, and Canada during Exercise Sama Sama, where he ably played the role of Opposing Forces during ship search exercises conducted by UK allies.

Serving in the seamanship role onboard, this was AB Brown’s first deployment. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 2018 and completed training at HMS Raleigh in 2020 to become a general warfare rating.

During his time onboard, he fulfilled a number of roles, including qualifying as a Quartermaster (steering the ship), which allowed him to become a fully integrated member of the ship’s company, standing watches. He also formed part of the ship’s damage control party, responding to fires and floods onboard—thankfully only during simulated incidents as part of exercises.

A particular highlight for AB Brown was the opportunity to see parts of the world he might otherwise never have visited. From spending his off-watch time exploring New Zealand, to participating in port visits to Japan and Malaysia, he gained the chance to experience new cultures. This deployment truly gave Steven the opportunity to embrace all the challenges and rewards of being a Royal Naval Reservist.

Steven’s deployment aboard HMS Spey demonstrates the increasing role of reservists in providing seamanship specialists to serve alongside regular colleagues on the River-Class Offshore Patrol vessels, from the Indo-Pacific to the South Atlantic.

“Joining Spey with a plethora of experience from his civilian career, Steven enriched the team dynamics of the seaman spec department,” said Lieutenant Jack Frayne, Spey’s Correspondence Officer.

“As an officer of the watch, having reservists like  AB Brown, who are eager to learn, qualifying as a Quartermaster and integrating into the ship’s watch keeping rota provided welcome capacity in one of the world’s busiest regions for maritime traffic and activity.

“AB Brown’s time aboard Spey was a clear demonstration of the role reservists play as a vital enabler to the Royal Navy’s forward deployed presence within the Indo-Pacific and other regions, thousands of miles from home, on the Batch 2 River class offshore patrol vessels.”