Five Ukrainian minehunting vessels sailed in close formation with Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless off the U.K.’s south coast as Exercise Lion Protector 26 came to a close.
The Royal Navy warship and five Ukrainian mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels sailed together in the eastern Solent as the culmination of seven days of training which also took in gunnery practice off Portland and mine-detonation drills.
The five Ukrainian ships — UNS Henichesk, Mariupol, Melitopol, Chernihiv and Cherkasy — have been in Portsmouth for training under Operation Interflex, part of the U.K.’s ongoing support to Ukraine.
They had the chance to participate in the fifth and final phase of Lion Protector, showcasing the ability of Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) navies to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) and keep sea lanes open and navigable.
The MCM drills saw the crews of Chernihiv and Cherkasy use Seafox remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), to find, classify and where needed neutralise dummy underwater explosive devices.
The JEF is a rapid-response coalition consisting of ten northern European nations led by the U.K: the other partners are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Canada is also in the process of applying for membership.
As part of the JEF’s wider Lion Protector 26 exercises running from August to October, Royal Marines have returned to the Faroe Islands for the first time since the Second World War.
The UK Commando Force worked alongside Danish forces and local maritime agencies, conducting maritime interdiction drills, coastal landings onto challenging terrain, and small boat missions.
Other elements of Lion Protector 26 have included Baltic Express in August, which centred on a multinational maritime escort rehearsal stretching the length of the Baltic Sea, escorting a roll-on/roll-off vessel delivering heavy military equipment to Latvia.
Aircraft carrier escort duties will be next for HMS Dauntless: she will escort RN flagship HMS Prince of Wales when she resumes her Firecrest 2026 deployment to the High North.
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website
