HMS Argyll visits Egypt en route to Asia

Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll has arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of her nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and Asia Pacific which started on June 18.

The Type 23 frigate is currently visiting the Alexandria naval base to facilitate discussions between senior Egyptian and UK naval officers about future cooperation, including training exercises and maritime security in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

On July 9, HMS Argyll hosted a reception on board for guests including Vice Admiral Ahmed Khaled Hassan Saeed, Commander of the Egyptian Navy, Wendy Freeman, British consul in Alexandria, Ingy Mourad Fahim MP, and Mai Mahmoud MP.

HMS Argyll has a crew of over 200, including two female officers, and is due to join coalition assets conducting maritime security operations in the Gulf.

“Egypt and the UK are facing shared challenges in maritime security and counterterrorism. The UK will not leave Egypt to stand alone in facing security challenges in the region,” British ambassador John Casson said. “The visit of HMS Argyll is the latest in a series of high-profile steps forward in our defence cooperation, to strengthen the bonds between our two navies.”

After concluding operations in the Gulf, Argyll will head for Asia Pacific as the third Royal Navy ship to deploy to the region this year. The frigate will sail as far as Japan as part of a national push to strengthen military and diplomatic ties in the region.

Argyll will also visit Australia and New Zealand and ultimately join exercise Bersama Lima, a joint naval exercise between the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand as part of the Five Powers Defence Arrangement.

The other two Plymouth ships, HMS Sutherland and HMS Albion, are now deployed to the East Asia region. HMS Argyll is due to arrive later this summer and depart early next year.