Standing Royal Navy deployments
[3] Antarctic Patrol is undertaken during the regional summer by the Royal Navy's Icebreaker and survey ship, HMS Protector, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
[5] This is the Royal Navy's commitment to secure and protect the interests of the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories in the regions of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.
The deployment primarily conducts counter narcotics missions and provides humanitarian assistance during hurricane season.
The commitment has, at times, consisted of two warships; either a guided-missile destroyer or frigate accompanied by a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel.
The 2021 defence white paper indicated that henceforth, one River-class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Trent, would be permanently based in Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean and also in the Gulf of Guinea.
As of 2024, it includes a Bay-class landing ship dock and a company of 45 Commando Royal Marines and supporting elements.
[14] Then in late 2024, the newly elected Labour government indicated that the Albion-class ships would in fact be taken out of service, putting the entire Littoral Response Group concept into question.
The 2021 exercises included Royal Navy ships HMS Albion and RFA Mounts Bay.
Cold Weather Training is a Royal Navy commitment to the annual Norwegian-led exercise in the Arctic regions.
[18] The Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron (FPBS) provides force protection in around the waters of HMNB Clyde, where the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarine fleet is based.
[25] This is a list of operations and commitments presently undertaken by the Royal Navy East of Suez in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, the wider Indian Ocean and the Far East: The Royal Navy regularly contributes to two multinational coalitions; Combined Task Force 150 and Combined Task Force 151.
During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami the Royal Navy responded by deploying RFA Diligence and the frigate HMS Chatham with Westland Lynx helicopters to provide assistance.
[28] Operation Kipion is an ongoing maritime presence in the Gulf and Indian Ocean by the Royal Navy to protect and secure the nation's many political and commercial interests.
[34] The LRG concept provides the UK options in an era of sub-threshold competition, a "grey zone" where nation states and actors compete in a hostile manner using tactics below the threshold of war.
[35][36] The newly elected Labour government's decision to retire the Albion-class assault ships meant that, in future, only vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary would be available to equip both Littoral Response Groups North and South.
The vessels were to be assigned missions ranging from "security patrols to deal with drug-running, smuggling, terrorism and other illegal activities" to "joining in exercises with other navies and armed forces".
The principal purpose of these partnerships is to reassure allied nations, to share intelligence and expertise, to build trust and ultimately provide security across the worlds oceans.
[41] Examples of such International Partnerships of which the Royal Navy plays a leading role include; the maritime component of the Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, AUSCANNZUKUS, the European Maritime Force and the Five Power Defence Arrangements.
Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) (JEF(M)) -formerly the Response Force Task Group (RFTG) created under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review- is the Royal Navy's amphibious expeditionary task group maintained at high-readiness and available at short notice to respond to unexpected global events.
To demonstrate the operational readiness and global reach of the JEF(M), the Royal Navy deploys the amphibious task group on annual large scale international exercises, primarily in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
This is the Royal Navy's commitment to support NATO MCM operations in the Baltic, Northern European Waters, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea (though it is capable of deploying globally if needed).
[46] As of April 2022 the latest ship to be assigned was HMS Grimsby (M108) with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.
The squadron provides force protection for NATO or coalition warships entering the naval facilities of Gibraltar and conduct maritime security in the surrounding British territorial waters.
[51] The 2021 defence white paper indicated that henceforth, one River-class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Trent, would also be permanently based in Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean and in the Gulf of Guinea.
