HMS Lancaster (F229)
1992-2025
Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1987 | Yard No 1036 |
| May 24, 1990 | aka The Red Rose, aka The Queens Frigate |
| May 1, 1992 | originally intended to be F232 but changed to F229 |
| Jan 1994 | Departed Devonport for West Indies Guardship duties. |
| 1999 | Major, 12 month refit |
| Feb 2001 | to Kuwait City for 10th anniversary Liberation ceremonies (from 1991 Iraq invasion) |
| Aug 24, 2001 | HMNB Portsmouth Present at IFoS Portsmouth. IFoS 2001 International Festival of Sea 2001 |
| 2003 |  South Atlantic departed HMNB Portsmouth for Atlantic Patrol Task (South) deployment. Operated around Falkland Islands between May 2003 and Nov 2003, relieving HMS Westminster and herself relieved by HMS Glasgow. Atlantic Patrol Task (South) |
| Feb 13, 2006 | Departed HMNB Portsmouth for 5 month security deployment to the Red Sea, Gulf and Indian Ocean, initially operating with French Navy units led by FNS Charles de Gaulle and including FNS Cassard, FNS Montcalm and HMNLS De Zeven Provincien, supported by FNS Somme. Returned mid Jul 2006. |
| Jul 25, 2008 | HMNB Portsmouth At Portsmouth 25-27 Jul for Meet Your Navy 2008 Meet Your Navy 2008 |
| Sep 2008 | Departed HMNB Portsmouth for 6 month Gulf and Middle East deployment, returned Feb 2009 |
| Oct 22, 2009 | Left HMNB Portsmouth with 815 NAS, 211 Flt Lynx embarked, for a 7 month Middle East deployment supporting CTF150 and CTF151, returning on 27 May 2010. |
| Oct 2010 | to BAE Systems at HMD Portsmouth for her 4th refit, of 16 months. Work included more efficient progress through the water, upgrades to weapons and computer systems, new shafts and upgrade to accommodation. Could not afford the towed array sonar Type 2087 upgrade. |
| Feb 2, 2012 | Commencement of sea trials following 16 month refit, prior to returning to the Fleet. |
| Jul 6, 2012 | flying demonstration by Wildcat for South Korean Trade Delegation, off South Coast of UK. Only 2nd Type 23 to host a Wildcat (ZZ404, an Army AH.1 variant). |
| Feb 15, 2013 | Portland Harbour 3 day visit to Portland, alongside the deep water berth, until 17 Feb. |
| Mar 2, 2013 | West India Dock (TQ) visit to Canary Wharf for 5 days, depart 7 Mar |
| Mar 3, 2013 | 815NAS Lynx HMA.8 ZD257/300-LA embarked |
| May 28, 2013 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for a 7 month humanitarian and anti-narcotic deployment to the Caribbean and North Atlantic. 815 NAS 202 Flt Lynx HMA.8 /300-LA assigned. Supported in theatre by RFA Wave Knight. Returned to HMNB Portsmouth 18 Dec. Atlantic Patrol Task (North) |
| Jun 20, 2013 | arrived in Grand Cayman for 4 day disaster preparedness visit |
| Aug 2, 2013 |  Kingston Bay weekend visit to Kingston, Jamaica, until 5 Aug. |
| Sep 9, 2013 |  Cartagena de Indias Harbour Cartagena de Indias Colombia for navy fair |
| Sep 23, 2013 | 4 day visit to Belize, including Independence Day celebrations, departed on 26 Sep. Lynx HMA.8 815 Sq/300 Spartan aboard. |
| Nov 1, 2013 |  Santo Domingo 4 day visit to Dominican Republic |
| Mar 17, 2014 | Merlin HM.2 initial trials with 829 NAS 01 Flight |
| Mar 17, 2014 | Merlin Mk2 initial trials on Type 23 frigate |
| May 14, 2014 |  Hamburg Port visit to Hamburg for the 825th anniversary of the port and to join the Hafengeburtstag celebrations. Moored alongside FGS Hamburg. 825th Hamburg Hafengeburtstag |
| Jul 2014 | rendezvous with RFS Admiral Levchenko and shadowed her through English Channel, passing escort on to HMNLS Evertsen and HMNLS Freisland on 6 Jul. |
| Feb 26, 2015 | visited Liverpool for 4 days. Ship open to Visitors on Sat 28 Feb. Departed 1 Mar. |
| Mar 21, 2015 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 9 month Atlantic mission, to relieve HMS Dragon. First UK vessel on operational deployment with Wildcat HMA.2 ZZ377 Voodoo (of 825 NAS 201 Flt) embarked. Supported by RFA Gold Rover from Jun to 8 Nov. Returned to Portsmouth 17 Dec. Atlantic Patrol Task (South) |
| Oct 4, 2015 |  Lobito visited Lobito for 4 day visit, including joint training with US Marines and Angolan forces |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Wildcat in St Helena. First South Atlantic Deployment |
| Dec 6, 2015 |  Algiers visit to Algiers, departed 8 Dec. |
| Feb 2016 | HMNB Portsmouth into Extended Readiness, at Portsmouth Extended Readiness |
| Mar 2017 | HMD Devonport left HMNB Portsmouth under tow for HMD Devonport and a refit by Babcock, replacing Sea Wolf by Sea Ceptor and fitting the Artisan 3D radar, until Aug 2019. CAMM (M) Sea Ceptor |
| Dec 16, 2019 | To sea for training after an extended readiness period and refit. |
| Jan 20, 2020 | Portland Harbour Alongside at Portland. |
| Sep 2020 | 815 NAS 209 Flt Wildcat HMA.2 embarked. |
| Dec 6, 2020 | HMNB Portsmouth returned to HMNB Portsmouth after deployment. |
| Mar 2021 | departed Portsmouth as Flagship of JEF (with HMS Westminster and RFA Tiderace) for maritime security and freedom of navigation Baltic deployment with 815 NAS 209 Flt Wildcat embarked, returned 31 Mar. |
| May 2021 | Formidable Shield 2021 |
| Aug 15, 2022 | departed Portsmouth for 3 year forward basing mission in the Middle East and Indian Ocean. Operation Kipion |
| Sep 1, 2022 | South West Approaches escorted Russian Federation Surface Group (Marshall Ustinov, Vice-Admiral Kulakov and replenishment vessel Vyazma) from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Western Approaches as they returned from the Black Sea, handing over to HMS Westminster on the edge of the Bay of Biscay. SNMG1 |
| Nov 13, 2022 |  Mina Salman Port relieved HMS Montrose on station, as the long term Middle East frigate, rotating ships companies back to the UK every 4 months or so. |
| Dec 25, 2024 | Mina Salman Port Christmas in Bahrain |
| Oct 2025 |  Gulf of Oman operating in Gulf of Oman, with 815 NAS Wildcat ZZ518 and unmanned Peregrine ZP526. Narcotics interdiction |
| Dec 5, 2025 | Mina Salman Port effectively decommissioned (again without ceremony) in Bahrain and will neither return to the UK nor be replaced on station in the immediate future. |