Royal Navy Frigate Visits Tallinn Between Exercises

Royal Navy frigate HMS Iron Duke has been docked in Tallinn ahead of resuming her deployment with an exercise involving the Joint Expeditionary Force.

The Portsmouth-based warship called in at the Estonian capital at the end of the first half of a pre-Christmas Baltic deployment which saw her taking part in the recent NATO exercise Freezing Winds.

The Finnish-led manoeuvres in the Baltic and Gulf of Bothnia lasted nine days and involved both NATO's north European task groups: Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) — of which Iron Duke is a part — and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1  (SNMCMG1).

In total, the exercise involved naval vessels, aircraft, and nearly 4,000 sailors and aircrews from 15 NATO nations: a clear indication of the key value the alliance accords to ensuring the safety and security of Europe’s crucial waterways and chokepoints. Naval participants mustered in Turku, Finland, and (as in Iron Duke’s case) Riga in Latvia.

According to the Royal Navy, by Baltic standards, the weather during Freezing Winds was relatively mild: temperatures hovered at around freezing point amid alternating flurries of snow, sleet, and rain.

The exercise involved multiple simulated scenarios with crews tasked with fending off aggressor aircraft and surface units. Iron Duke’s Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron was repeatedly given Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and surface warfare training. 

“Exercise Freezing Winds was a fantastic experience,” said Lieutenant Commander Paul Harsent, the frigate’s Gunnery Officer. “Operating with Finland as one of our newest NATO allies was a privilege and throughout the exercise Ship’s Company have proven that we can operate in demanding warfighting scenarios.” 

After the Joint Expeditionary Force outing Iron Duke will be returning home to Portsmouth in time for Christmas.

• You can read more details on the Royal Navy website