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HMS Portland is a Type 23 ‘Duke’-class frigate. Based at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, she was launched by Lady Heather Brigstocke on 15 May 1999.
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United Kingdom
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The Royal Navy shadowed a Russian task group as it sailed through the waters close to the UK.
09 June 2023
HMS Portland put would-be Norwegian submarine captains through their paces during...
28 March 2023
Topic:Operational activityInternational partnership
Storyline: HMS Portland
The Royal Navy is escorting a Russian task group in waters close to the UK.
13 March 2023
Topic:Fighting armsSurface Fleet
A Royal Navy frigate is tracking the movements of a Russian warship in the North Sea.
11 January 2023
A Royal Navy warship has tracked the movements of two Russian submarines as they sailed...
22 July 2022
HMS Portland is a Type 23 frigate – also known as the Duke-class, since all ships of the class are named after British dukes. Originally designed as anti-submarine vessels, Type 23 frigates have been used in a variety of other roles, from warfighting to maritime security operations. The Type 23 frigate has now entered an extensive upgrade period to receive new radars, engines, and the cutting-edge Sea Ceptor missile system.
The Portland story begins in 1653, she saw extensive action in wars with the Dutch and French. The ship was burned in 1692 near Malaga to prevent her falling into French hands.
The Portland name is resurrected in 1693. The vessel serves for 50 years, helping to recapture HMS Coventry from the French in 1709, before being broken up in 1743.
Portland number three was a 50-gunner which saw repeated action against the French in the Channel, Mediterranean and North America. She was sold out of the Navy in 1763.
The fourth Portland was launched in 1770. She had the distinction of carrying home Captain Cook’s vital journals and charts from his Pacific expedition.
The fifth Portland was a converted river barge purchased in 1795 and was briefly used to defend Plymouth during the Napoleonic Wars. She was sold in 1802.
The final Portland from the days of sail was a 52-gunner which spent 40 years in service, including a stint as flagship of the Pacific Station.
Portland number seven was to have been a Bangor-class minesweeper; she was still being built when she was captured from Hong Kong by the Japanese. She was sunk by the Americans in 1945.
The eighth and current HMS Portland is a Type 23 frigate, launched by Lady Heather Brigstocke in 1999.
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