UK Navy Warship Escorts Queen Mary II
U.K. Royal Navy warship HMS Defender provided escort duties for transatlantic ocean liner RMS Queen Mary II through the Gulf of Oman.
The Type 45 destroyer, dwarfed by the enormity of the cruise liner, is equipped with an array of weaponry and radar tracking systems to ensure the safe passage of the luxury ship through potentially dangerous sea lanes.
This was the second time in two days the Portsmouth-based warship had escorted a ‘High Value Unit’ through the area, The Navy said. Previously Defender took the RMS Queen Mary II’s sister ship RMS Queen Elizabeth though the same route, using her Lynx Mark 8 helicopter for additional protection.
Commander Steve Higham, Commanding Officer of Defender, said, “This serial was an excellent opportunity to reassure high-profile merchant shipping in the Gulf of Oman and beyond, while at the same time promoting Royal Naval engagement in the region.”
"Interaction with merchant shipping is crucial to promoting Maritime Security and maintaining the Rule of Law,” Higham said.