Instead of heading off to the Far East and Australia for series of "waving the flag" port visits, she remained on patrol in the Persian Gulf for an extra three months.

This period was conducted when at sea mostly on a war-ready footing, involving virtually everyone onboard working Defence Watches (basically six hours on, six off) round the clock.

Following refit at Rosyth, York rededicated on 30 June 1995 and then worked up to full readiness undertaking operational sea training and a JMC.

In 2003, York took part in the invasion of Iraq providing air cover and area protection for the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

In July 2006, York joined Gloucester in evacuating British citizens from Beirut in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict making several trips in and out of Lebanon, ferrying evacuees to Cyprus.

[9] She then sailed around the top of Scotland and into the Atlantic past western Ireland, where she conducted flying operations with her Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker jets and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters in international airspace.