Latest news with #HMSSutherland
Spectator
21-05-2025
- Business
- Spectator
Portrait of the week: Starmer's EU deal, Lineker's BBC departure and an outbreak of camel flu
Home Sir Keir Starmer was joined by EU representatives in London to celebrate new agreements with the bloc. EU access to British fishing grounds would now be in place until 2038, but it would be easier to export fish from Britain. The government said agreements on food exports and energy trade would benefit Britain by £8.9 billion a year by 2040 – 0.3 per cent of GDP. The government emphasised a defence and security pact and gave a lunch aboard the frigate HMS Sutherland. Use of e-gates by British travellers would in future be decided by each EU state. A youth mobility scheme transmogrified into a youth experience scheme and remained to be agreed. Richard Tice of Reform UK said: 'It's a huge betrayal; it's surrender on steroids.' Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, also used the word 'betrayal'. Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, was reported by the Telegraph to have pressed for tax rises on savers, by measures such as reinstating the lifetime pension allowance limit. Inflation rose from 2.6 to 3.5 per cent. GDP grew by 0.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Thames Water decided to 'pause' its scheme to pay out big 'retention' payments to senior executives. Gary Lineker was to leave the BBC without a payoff on 25 May. One in ten adults have no savings, according to the Financial Conduct Authority. Westminster council ordered the owner of a house in Mayfair to refill a sub-basement housing a cinema, gym and sauna, excavated without planning permission. Sir Keir Starmer, on an official visit to Albania, said Britain was in talks to set up overseas 'return hubs' for failed asylum seekers; Albania ruled out the idea.
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
With US and EU deals, Britain embarks on high-risk balancing act
European Council President Antonio Costa, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stand with members of the Royal Navy on board Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland in central London, following the UK-EU Summit. Picture date: Monday May 19, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS LONDON - Britain's pursuit of trade deals with the European Union and United States, while courting China, has made it a test case for navigating U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictable new world order. A historically open nation, reliant on global commerce, Britain has secured several trade accords since Trump's sweeping tariffs unleashed a trade war. It negotiated a free trade deal with India, tariff relief from Washington and repositioned itself closer to the European Union on defence, energy and agriculture. The approach has tested the patience of the United States, China and the EU, three major trade powers that make up two-thirds of Britain's trade, and any limited economic benefits are likely to take time to emerge, analysts say. Martin Donnelly, formerly the chief civil servant in Britain's trade ministry, said there were no "easy or cheap wins" in the current environment and the government risked "being shut out by the three big trade blocs" if it gets the strategy wrong. In a fragmented world, trade analysts said Britain had accepted its role as a satellite in the United States' security and tech orbit, giving Washington oversight of some supply chains and steel ownership that could squeeze out China. It fended off U.S. demands for increased access to its food markets so it could align itself more closely with Brussels, with that deal eased by the EU's desire for tighter military ties with Britain. It is also trying to improve ties with China: to secure inward investment and consumer goods, to sell its financial services to China's elite, while trying to avoid sharing sensitive technologies that could anger the United States. Marco Forgione, head of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said some of the 80,000 British businesses that export were already restructuring supply chains to ringfence high-risk sectors, including defence and AI. "They need a strategy that works with all major markets," he said, adding that an approach that deals with the EU, U.S. and China differently across sectors made sense, "but only if our partners see it as coherent and not opportunistic". One trade official, who has worked in London and Brussels, said Britain had extracted concessions from Trump that the U.S. president would be unwilling to give to Europe, and that it had also accepted a satellite status that would likely be anathema to Brussels. The official, who asked not to be named due to his government work, said the challenge ahead was to keep all partners on side. TORTUOUS POST-BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS Britain became an independent trading nation in 2020 after four years of tortuous negotiations following its vote to leave the EU. Advocates of Brexit had said it would free the country to strike trade deals with faster growing economies in Asia. Proponents also wanted it to build on the strong security ties Britain had with the U.S., to incorporate greater trade in food and goods, but that failed to materialise. Britain's budget forecaster believes the post-Brexit weakening of trade will lead to the economy's potential productivity being 4% smaller after 15 years than it would have been if it had remained in the bloc. Weighed down by 2.8 trillion pounds ($3.7 trillion) of debt and with an economy that is struggling to grow, it seeks alliances to deliver growth, and security in a more uncertain world. Paul Drechsler, who is on the board of the UK's business and trade department and has led companies in Britain and abroad, said the recent deals would help to build trust. "It's just such an important time, both in terms of geopolitics, but also in terms of the economy globally, we need to do things that will get trade going," he said. Britain became the first country to get a reduction in U.S. tariffs when it announced a limited deal with Trump to lower levies on cars and steel, but it retained the baseline 10% U.S. tariff, despite having balanced trade with the United States. Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that would have angered the EU, Japan and others that wanted a united front against Trump. That U.S. deal could also be a challenge to ties with China, especially given security clauses on steel that give the U.S. the potential to exclude China from the British steel industry. Starmer's government has made improving ties with China one of its main foreign policy goals since it was elected last July, after successive Conservative governments sparred with Beijing over human rights, Hong Kong, investment and security concerns. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said agreements between countries should not target other nations and that China was prepared to respond "as necessary". Oertel said Britain could find itself in an awkward situation if China goes "very hard on the UK to scare others into not signing on to these agreements". "What the UK has managed to do is kind of make itself the guinea pig," she said, "and I'm not sure that's a comfortable position to be in." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Scotsman Letters: Union flag may as well be white after Starmer betrayal
Keir Starmer's new deal with Europe has angered reader Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Yesterday was a day that will live in infamy, as Keir Starmer undid much of the independence brought to the UK by Brexit. The UK will give up much of the fishing grounds we fought to keep exclusively for the British fishing fleet. Soon, Willem, Jean-Pierre and Carlos will be in there, stripping out the reserves we have been building up for years. This isn't for a year, or three years. Not even five years. It's for 12 years! Breathtaking. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Our Army is being shoehorned into a 'European Army', which may well cause conflicts within Nato and the UK will once more be subject to European regulations, but without any say in the rules being imposed upon us. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer flanked by European Council President Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in front of members of the Royal Navy on HMS Sutherland yesterday (Picture: Stefan Rousseau -) The new UK flag is all-white and is in keeping with the new National Anthem (courtesy of Rainbow) which is now, 'I Surrender'! In fact, the only good thing that will come out of this is that the Labour Party will probably never again form a UK government. Peter Hopkins, Edinburgh Land rethink You may find it strange that as a landowner I find myself in agreement with much of what Councillor Gordon Murray says in his letter (19 May), not least that 'Land is not a commodity but the foundation of our collective existence' and that therefore 'the bill must strengthen accountability'. Where I differ is in the principle of the bill, in his words to 'diversify ownership'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I was brought up by my father that, whilst I might own Innes, I held it in trust for the local community, and I agree that it is critical that land should be used to enhance the local economy, but to do so it must be a well-capitalised business. Whilst in no way against community ownership, I am not sure where the money comes from in a community-owned Highland estate to finance the never-ending stream of requirements to invest in improvements, whether to cottages, historic buildings, forestry or peat restoration to name but a few. If you are a proud owner of 5,000 acres in Panmure, one of the few areas of Grade 1 farmland in Scotland, your capital investment is probably highly cash generative, but if you own 100,000 acres in northwest Sutherland you own a cash drain unless you are lucky enough to have a wind farm. The way in which land is managed needs regular reform, as does any market, but the aim of any reform should not be to use scarce taxpayers' money to seek social justice through changing the ownership pattern, it should be to ensure that all landowners, big and small, manage their land in a way which not only turns a profit but benefits the community. The size of the ownership is irrelevant in this respect. In fact, the larger the landowner, the more they can benefit the community. You only need to examine the Duke of Buccleuch's record to see that this is the case. Supermarkets are also a key part of any community, but to provide cheap food, they need to be big. I think it is fair to say that both sides of the debate agree that the bill as it currently stands achieves neither the objectives the land reformers would like nor provides sensible reforms which could enhance our rural communities. It needs a complete rethink. Mark Tennant, Innes House, Elgin, Moray World of statistics The press, especially The Scotsman, have been excellent at covering the conflicting views on a changing climate in articles and letters. However, one thing that the media fails to do is publish two very important statistics. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It should be highlighting, say every month, the greenhouse gases caused by wars and the manufacture of weapons and the rebuilding of the destroyed infrastructure. Then there is Mother Nature creating greenhouse gases with her earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, typhoons and more. This might then encourage readers, viewers and listeners to buy an expensive EV and heat pump and cut down on meat and stop flying and all the hundreds of other things politicians and the climate experts have told us we must do to 'save the planet'. Let's get started. Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Locals ignored The Scottish Government has approved the Loch Lomond mega resort scheme, in spite of massive local opposition, and this does not seem to be a one-off, with many examples of Holyrood approving housing plans after local council rejection. This shows how little the SNP esteems local democracy, and comes after many years of cuts to local government. William Ballantine, Bo'ness, West Lothian Conflict of interest? The Scotsman reports that land on which it is proposed to build a new Flamingo Land is owned by the Scottish Government's commercial wing Scottish Enterprise (16 May). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lomond Banks development director Jim Paterson said: 'We are delighted by the decision made by the Scottish Government reporter today.' How the situation of a party benefiting from the decision of a reporter appointed by an arm of that party cannot be construed as a potential and perceived 'conflict of interest' beggars belief. This should justify application for Judicial Review. For the future – why has no one thought of this in the past? – Scotland needs an alternative to the Scottish Office Planning and Environmental Appeals Division where a party to the matter in dispute is an arm of government. Such will have to be funded by expense being loaded onto the unsuccessful party and requiring to be pre-paid before issue of the decision. Alasdair HM Adam, Dollar, Clackmannanshire Blind eye Last Saturday I attended the match at Celtic Park and for the last 15 minutes had to listen to constant chanting of 'IRA' and 'Irish Republican Army' by the 1,000 plus (self-styled) Green Brigade. This Saturday I attended the match at Easter Road and was treated to 90 minutes of sectarian singing/chanting including 'F*** the Pope'. This in addition to substantial objects being thrown at Under-18 footballers parading their League trophy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In neither case did I see any action taken by the police. Nor has there been any comment, by the clubs, football authorities or media. Sadly, that is not a surprise. Dave Watson, Edinburgh Weekend bullies Greater Glasgow Chief Superintendent Emma Croft's hot take of Saturday's annual chaos at Glasgow's Trongate was: 'Officers took decisive action to clear the area and prevent further disorder when it was safe to do so.' Translated: 'Officers stood by and let a drunken, drugged rabble run amok, leaving a huge bill for the taxpayers and local businesses, and only bothered getting tough once there were only a few bams left, but silver linings, they were on weekend time and a half!' She also claimed to be working with others to create 'safer, less disruptive way for fans to celebrate safely'. How about at the football ground in question so they can foot the clean-up bill instead? Glasgow on Saturday encapsulated everything rotten about 21st-century Britain: the Green Goblins preceded by the Bitter Orange Rangers Enthusiasts Sinfonietta (or BORES for short) – just happening to stop to play 'The Sash' and bang their drums extra loudly outside an Irish theme pub on Union Street (because leprechaun kitsch is almost as pathetic as their own), while the Gazaristas two blocks down intimidated people using businesses that just happened to be once owned by Jews (a hundred years ago). Come summer, the 'Rainbow Rights' rabble and whatever Eco Death Cult is hip with 'the kids' and pseudo-intellectuals will make their own public bids for that coveted title of 'Pain In The Backside Of The Year'. Whoopee! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For far too long, every urban centre's weekend is routinely ruined by risibly self-righteous recreational bullies in full confidence those in authority couldn't give a monkey's, and if the latter wonder why people now back any shyster promising to reverse it, they are long past seeing how 'the other 99 per cent' live. Mark Boyle, Johnstone, Renfrewshire Get moving Much is being said about just transition, green jobs by the thousand and more. Politicians are talking up these ideas, but I do wonder about the honesty of some of these pronouncements. Wind farms do create jobs during construction, but once commissioned and built very few jobs are maintained – check on the number of full-time equivalent positions in evidence for the Aberdeen offshore wind farm. Onshore the wind farms create few, if any, local jobs as the farms are operated by telemetry from miles away. The much-vaunted carbon capture is unproven and likely to be frighteningly expensive and power hungry. Why the delay on mini-nukes? Other countries are going ahead, Denmark and Sweden have committed to go ahead. Are our politicians too scared to make decisions? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Might I suggest they shut up and get on with the business of sourcing energy and jobs MJ Salter, Banchory, Aberdeen Boom and bust Is it any wonder that What the Hell Just Happened?, the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, received no points from international viewers? It was so bad it wouldn't make the playlist in my local Co-op, and that's saying something. The whole show is so bad Keith Richards sitting on stage smoking a Benson and Hedges would probably have won it. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire Write to The Scotsman
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
UK and the EU renew ties, announce new trade deals 5 years after Brexit
LONDON — Britain and the European Union hailed a new chapter in their relationship Monday after they sealed new agreements on defense cooperation and easing trade flows at their first formal summit since Brexit. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials in London for talks, said the deals will slash red tape, grow the British economy and reset relations with the 27-nation trade bloc since the U.K. left the EU in 2020. 'Britain is back on the world stage,' Starmer said. 'This deal is a win-win.' Advertisement 4 European Council President Antonio Costa (L), Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a photograph on board the Type 23 Frigate, HMS Sutherland, following the UK-EU Summit in London on May 19, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Von der Leyen called the talks a 'historic moment' that benefits both sides. More broadly, she said it sends a message at a time of global upheaval that the U.K. and EU are 'natural partners standing side-by-side on the global stage.' Britain's opposition parties slammed the deals as backtracking on Brexit. 'We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again,' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said. Advertisement Under the deals, a new U.K.-EU defense and security partnership will allow the U.K. to access a EU defense loan program worth 150 billion euros ($170 billion.) Other agreements include removing some checks on animal and plant products to ease food trade across borders, and a 12-year extension of an agreement allowing EU fishing vessels in U.K. waters. While the EU is the U.K.'s largest trading partner, the U.K. has been hit with a 21% drop in exports since Brexit because of more onerous border checks, laborious paperwork and other non-tariff barriers. Post-Brexit visa restrictions have also hobbled the cross-border activities of professionals such as bankers or lawyers, as well as cultural exchanges, including touring bands and school trips. Advertisement 4 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and other British and EU officials at a landmark summit meeting at Lancaster House in London on May 19, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Resetting relations Since becoming prime minister in July, Starmer has sought to reset relations with the EU, following years of tensions in the wake of the U.K.'s 2016 Brexit referendum. Post-Brexit relations have been governed by a trade agreement negotiated by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Starmer thinks that can be improved in a way that boosts trade and bolsters security. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Advertisement Starmer hailed Monday's agreements — the third package of trade deals struck by his government in as many weeks following accords with the U.S. and India — as 'good for jobs, good for bills and good for our borders.' Burgers, fishing and youth mobility The defense pact will allow Britain's defense industry to access cheap loans from a n ew EU loan program to buy military equipment, in part to help Ukraine defend itself. In trade, officials say they will reduce routine border checks and costs on some food imports and exports to make it easier for goods to flow freely. The changes will mean the U.K. can sell products like British burgers and sausages to the EU again, officials said. 4 Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray and fellow pro EU activists wave flags as they protest near Lancaster House, the venue of the UK-EU Summit, in London on May 19, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'We know we've had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported, because frankly it's just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that,' Cabinet Office minister Thomas-Symonds, who led the negotiations, told the BBC. In fisheries, the deal means European fishing boats will have access to U.K. waters until 2038. While economically minor, fishing has long been a sticking point and symbolically important issue for the U.K. and EU member states such as France. Disputes over the issue nearly derailed a Brexit deal back in 2020. The talks also included a youth mobility plan that's expected to allow young Britons and Europeans to live and work temporarily in each other's territory, though no details were provided. That remains a politically touchy issue in the U.K., seen by some Brexiteers as inching back toward free movement. The U.K. has similar youth mobility arrangements with countries including Australia and Canada. Advertisement Starmer has stressed that the U.K. won't rejoin the EU's frictionless single market and customs union, nor agree to the free movement of people between the U.K. and the EU. 4 Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray and fellow pro EU activists wave flags as they protest near Lancaster House, the venue of the UK-EU Summit, in London on May 19, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Opposition objects to a 'surrender' Some of the trade-offs may prove difficult for Starmer, who faces growing challenges from the pro-Brexit and anti-immigration Reform U.K. party and accusations of 'betraying' Brexit. Reform, which recently won big in local elections, and the Conservatives have called the deal a 'surrender' to the EU. Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump, who has backed Brexit, could also be a potential headache for Starmer. 'The reset could still be blown off course by disagreements over how to consolidate existing areas of cooperation like fisheries and/or external factors, such as a negative reaction from the U.S. to the U.K. seeking closer ties with the EU,' said Jannike Wachowiak, research associate at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank.
Metro
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Inside the UK's 'Fighting Clan' warship tasked with deterring Putin's subs
It's a proud moment as HMS Sutherland passes through Tower Bridge on a journey into the heart of London that was last made by a warship of its class more than a decade ago. Crowds soaking up the gloriously sunny weather on either side of the landmark wave to the crew lining the decks in their formal uniforms as the Type 23 frigate and its lead tug slip past. There's a hush on the bridge punctuated only by radio chatter and instructions between the dozen or so officers and their 'pilot' sailor as they navigate a fiendishly tricky stretch of river for a warship primarily designed to hunt submarines in the open sea. An Army piper on the bridge roof playing Scotland the Brave — a nod to the 'Fighting Clan's' roots — is one of the few sounds that can heard during the journey to rendezvous with WWII-era HMS Belfast at London Bridge. The milestone was witnessed by the Metro yesterday as we became the first media outlet to go behind the scenes on the multi-purpose ship since it began a refit in 2020 that will put it at the cutting edge of the Royal Navy's mission to protect the UK's maritime security. Originally designed for the principal task of submarine hunting, the frigate is part of a multi-billion-pound upgrade aimed at keeping the Navy ahead of assessed threats that include Russian military vessels tampering with critical underwater cables. Behind the ceremony on deck, it's clear that minds are focused on challenges that include detecting and deterring Vladimir Putin's ships and submarines around the British coast and further out at sea in conjunction with the country's NATO allies. Such incidents may seem commonplace but the Kremlin's vessels represent an evolving threat — one that could sever critical national systems impacting from 'Truro to Wick', Metro is told. The regenerated Sutherland is due to be fully operational on anti-submarine patrols at an unspecified date next year after being refitted with some of the most advanced military technology available, including the latest version of the ground-to-air Sea Ceptor missile system, capable of intercepting targets at three times the speed of sound. In the officers' mess, Lt Cdr Jones, a highly decorated former submariner, tells us: 'We are quite fortunate to be coming out of regeneration and to have been given some of the most cutting edge technology that there is. 'The only way to keep the UK safe is to constantly keep ahead of the threats that are out there and to give our operators the capability to do so. 'The Sutherland is unique in being a transitional 28-year-old vessel having such large and new equipment fitted ahead of it being fitted into the new class of warships, the types 26 and 31. 'Everything we are doing here will be a learning process that will inform the next generation of warships. 'Alongside the new equipment, we have a great sense of pride of what we do, so docking alongside HMS Belfast will help us to show that to the general public and demonstrate how we keep the UK's interests safe.' Deep in the bowels of the ship, Metro is taken into the ops room — the nerve centre of any engagement with the enemy — to be shown how the technology might be deployed. Around half a dozen warfare specialists sit at banks of controls in a dimly lit space little bigger than a living room, with a revolving captain's seat in the centre. The simulation condenses several days into a few minutes and displays the multiple weapons systems on the Sutherland, whose motto is 'sans peur', or 'without fear'. The area has been sanitised before we arrive to ensure no sensitive details are in sight. The crew speak to Metro under their second names. In the scenario, the Sutherland has been shadowing a Russian ship in the North Atlantic for three days, supported by a RAF maritime patrol aircraft and a US destroyer. A whistle from the electronic warfare team precedes a warning that the hostile vessel may be attempting to fire upon the Sutherland. Sea Ceptor is launched to intercept the missile with the signal 'brace, brace, brace' before the attack is successfully neutralised. The Sutherland then counter-fires using its lightweight Sting Ray torpedoes. Critical decisions are taken by the young team in the space of seconds during the engagement, which ends with the ship's Merlin helicopter confirming that the submarine has surfaced and is leaving the area. This time it's just a drill. But Principal Warfare Officer Lt Cdr Priestley and his team know all too well of the threats lurking in the waters off the British coast. 'There is an increased threat of whoever are adversaries are meddling with our infrastructure undersea, whether it be cables, pipelines, internet cables, whatever it may be,' he says. 'That's something that's going to affect every facet of life now. 'Given what the impact could be, it's our job as an anti-submarine warfare frigate to have a look at that and prevent our adversaries from meddling and impacting everyone's lives. 'From the youngest to oldest, from Truro up to Wick, everyone stands to be impacted from the snip of a cable and this definitely focuses minds.' Underpinning the fighting power is a world of logistics and administrative staff working below deck, and we tour the galley and dining areas, a medical bay, gym and launderette. Chef Nawaqaliva, who has been in the Navy for 17 years after joining from Fiji, shows us a large tray filled with sailors' traditional favourite 'cheesy hammy eggy' toasties, but the kitchen is equally at home putting on Italian nights or catering for VIP guests. 'It's busy and long hours but it's rewarding as well,' the leading caterer says. 'I find when I'm busy time flies by and I've been to some good places and had some experiences with the Navy. 'I've learnt things I wouldn't have learnt in any other job.' Space is at a premium in the ratings' sleeping quarters, which consist of three-person bunkbeds and are attached to small mess rooms with sofas and widescreen TVs. A wake up call on the day was given by the piper who played around the decks at 7am. The average age on the ship is 27, meaning most of the crew were born many years after the Clyde-built frigate was launched with the smash of a whisky bottle against her hull at Yarrow yard in Glasgow, now BAE. Inside a hangar readied with flags to receive VIP guests, Midshipman Houlberg, 19, is following in a family tradition of Navy service. Originally eyeing a career as a military historian, he signed up during his A-levels, taking after his father and brother. 'I was on the QE [Queen Elizabeth] for six weeks in January, which was alongside, but this is my sea-going ship and it's been good to see it being regenerated into a fully operational warship,' the new recruit says. 'As a Warfare Officer I'll always say my favourite part is being on the bridge, but it's just been nice being out at sea. 'Once the ship is fully operational sometime next year I'll hopefully be on this or another Type 23 or 26 frigate and going out on TAPS [anti-submarine] patrols.' Other crew members have swapped civilian life for a place on the frontline of Britain's maritime defence. Leading Engineering Technician Coley was a car salesman before his current posting upgrading Sea Ceptor. A common thread is his passion for downing overhead targets, and he combines representing the Navy at a national level in clay pigeon shooting with his work on the next generation air defence weapon. As the journey along the Thames from the Metro's embarkation point via a pilot boat in Ramsgate, Kent, comes to an end, we pass landmarks including the Thames Barrier, the O2 and Canary Wharf. While there's a sense of excitement across the decks about the arrival in London, a studied concentration prevails on the bridge. As well as the hazardous Thames Estuary sandbanks, the 4,900-tonne ship has to fit through a gap just 13-metres wide at Canary Wharf in order to stay at a safe depth. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Two commercial 'pilot' skippers join the officers on the bridge — one being familiar with the Estuary at Kent and the other the Thames. Commanding Officer Wallington-Smith tells Metro: 'Sutherland is at a really important stage in her life where she's completed a really major life extension refit which has delivered the cutting edge sensors and weapons to the ship to enable her to deliver the tasking that we're given by the Navy in support of the nation over the next five or six years. 'Right now, we're in the stage of regenerating the ship so that we are more than capable and ready to deliver the tasks that are given to us. 'That means we need to do the equipment trials so the weapons and sensors are all ready to go but also we need to train the people, because nothing works without the people being trained and ready for action. 'That's a progressive thing that takes us through and that's the stage we are at now.' The Sutherland refit is a sign of things to come as the Navy introduces two new frigates — the Type 26 City class and Type 31 Inspiration class. The upgrade is taking place amid heightened political tensions between the UK and Russia and cat-and-mouse games playing out at sea between NATO countries and hostile vessels. While the encounters demand the most sophisticated sensors and weaponry, they also represent the Cold War threat the Sutherland was originally designed for. 'In many ways the threats from the days of the Cold War are still there,' Cdr Wallington-Smith says. 'The capability of the adversary, in Russian underwater technology, is still very high, but in many ways it continues to evolve and challenge us. 'The Russians are at the forefront of the technology in some of the underwater challenges they pose to the nation. 'The 28 years this ship has been in service means that she's a really seasoned, experienced ASW [anti-submarine warfare] platform and we have a lot of understanding as to how to deliver this. 'The recent refit we have done has then added on the latest weapons and sensors. 'Many of the weapons and sensors are equipment we will take through into the new class of ships as we progress from the Type 23 class to the Type 26 and 31.' The captain is back on the bridge as the Sutherland pulls up alongside HMS Belfast — the two ships representing a naval tradition spanning back to World War Two. Sailors in camo fatigues armed with SA80 rifles and staying close to fixed General Purpose Machine Guns keep a careful watch on proceedings. The relative quiet on the bridge is not down to lowered voices alone. A 'silence kills' sign outside the command deck and the smooth running of the ship are reminders that the frigate was built for stealth in order to evade detection by submarines. Although many of the crew are occupied with logistical tasks, there's a sense of relief when the Sutherland pulls up alongside its sister ship and drops the gangway. 'It's a hugely proud moment for the ship's company and for me personally,' Cdr Wallington-Smith says. 'I've had the privilege of commanding two Type 23s over the past two-and-a-half years or so and the Type 23 hasn't come this far into the capital for at least 10 years. 'We are going right into the heart of a city that is fundamental connected with the maritime domain, whether it's through the data cables that bring the information to allow 10 trillion dollars' worth of transactions to take place daily in the city, through the energy that flows in from windfarms and undersea gas cables, to the goods that come in through the London Gateway. To be able to come in and deliver this understanding is really exciting for the team.' The Belfast's service includes D-Day, when it was among the first British ships to open fire on German shore defences. 'To be alongside Belfast, a ship with such an illustrious history, is really special,' the captain says. 'Ninety-nine years ago this year she was laid down and she represents the last generation, we represent the current generation. 'But it's really apposite that in the next generation, the Type 26, there will be another HMS Belfast as we progress the technology.' As tourists on the Imperial War Museums ship pause to capture the unexpected arrival on their mobiles, Lt Cdr Page is among the officers savouring the moment out on deck. 'It's a fabulous day and a fabulous day in the history of HMS Sutherland and a proud moment for the whole of the ship's company after a brilliant regeneration,' she says. 'Having the two ships side by side shows the absolute relevance of the Navy in the present day and the strategic importance going forward, and the history we and the future we have in front of us, which is very promising and very bright.' Lt Cdr Page is among the ship's crew who will be combining formal engagements and logistical tasks with getting out and about in the city over the next few days. Second in Command Lt Cdr Thicknesse, who invited the Metro onto the bridge for the approach, describes the Sutherland as a 'floating embassy' for UK interests when it is berthed. After departing London, the ship is due to spend another few days at Greenwich before heading back out to sea, with another port call in Rotterdam. More Trending The frigates are used for a wide range of tasks also including anti-piracy, anti-drug operations and humanitarian responses and disaster relief, but the first deployment is slated to be the patrols maintaining security in and around the UK's territorial waters. For now, the principal mission is a charm offensive that includes welcoming MPs onboard. But in an increasingly uncertain world, the crew honing their skills on the Sutherland may yet find themselves as the first line of defence. MORE: Inside Ukraine shadow warriors' daring missions within sights of Russian guns MORE: Intelligence expert's ominous warning over West's shadow war with Russia MORE: Inside the artificial intelligence 'X' files taking UK military into a new age Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact
