HMS Westminster (F237)
1994-2024
FF · Frigate
| IMO: | 8949654 |
| MMSI: | 234641000 |
| Flight Deck: | WM |
| Call Sign: | GCOK |
| Shipyard: | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) |
Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Dec 1989 | |
| Jan 18, 1991 | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) at Wallsend, Yard No 135, originally fitted with the less powerful Spey SM1A engines. |
| Feb 4, 1992 | |
| May 13, 1994 | |
| Aug 9, 1995 |  off Plymouth, MS ordered to Montserrat in response to further eruptions for a relief and evacuation mission. Joined by HMS Southampton on 19 Aug. Operation Harlech |
| Mar 1998 | assigned newly converted Lynx HMA.8 XZ255 as 228 Flt / 462-WM, until c Sep 2001. |
| Feb 3, 1999 |  Freetown Port assigned as Atlantic Patrol Ship (South) and relieved HMS Norfolk, off Freetown APT(S) Atlantic Patrol Task (South) |
| Aug 24, 2001 | HMNB Portsmouth Present at IFoS Portsmouth. IFoS 2001 International Festival of Sea 2001 |
| 2002 |  South Atlantic departed UK for Atlantic Patrol Task (South) deployment. Operated around Falkland Islands between Sep 2002 and Apr 2003, relieving HMS Newcastle and herself relieved by HMS Lancaster. Atlantic Patrol Task (South) |
| 2004 | refit at HMD Rosyth to prepare for Merlin operations and undertake the first installation of the Type 2087 Sonar, rejoining the fleet on 27 Jan 2005. towed array sonar Type 2087 |
| Jun 2004 | assigned 824 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH850 as /462-WM, until Oct 2004. |
| Oct 2004 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH850 as /462-WM, until Apr 2006. |
| Apr 2006 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH857 as /415-WM, until Sep 2008. |
| Nov 2006 |  Jeddah Naval Base visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during return from a 6 month Far East deployment. |
| Oct 2008 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH829 as /503, until Mar 2009. |
| Nov 20, 2008 | Tower Bridge Upper visit to the Pool of London (tied up alongside HMS Belfast), until 24 Nov. (See picture and note the Mk.8 Mod 0 gun at A turret, prior to 2009/2010 refit). Pool of London |
| Mar 2009 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH837 as /503, until Jul 2009. |
| May 2009 | Entered HMD Devonport for refit until mid Mar 2010 with Babcock, to address Seawolf and its control system. Mk.8 Mod 1 4.5 inch |
| Jul 2010 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH858 as /502, until Aug 2010. |
| Aug 2010 | assigned 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 ZH841 as /502, until at least Jul 2011. |
| Mar 2011 | departed from London and ordered off Libya to assist evacuation of UK nationals and support UN Security Council Resolution 1973. Relieved HMS York on station on 4 Mar. |
| Jan 23, 2012 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for a 7 month Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean deployment, relieving HMS Somerset and due to be relieved by HMS Sutherland. She returned to Portsmouth on 13 Aug 2012 while 829 NAS 02 Flt Merlin arrived back at RNAS Culdrose on 14 Aug. |
| Mar 13, 2013 | Tower Bridge Upper visit to the Pool of London (tied up alongside HMS Belfast), until 19 Mar. 815 NAS Lynx HMA.8 XZ691/462-WM ranged on deck. Pool of London |
| Aug 13, 2013 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 7 month deployment which included participation in Ex Cougar 13. 829 NAS Merlin HM.1 /415-WM embarked. Relieved HMS Kent in Indian Ocean during Oct 2013. Was relieved in turn by HMS Somerset on station on 11 Feb 2014 and returned to HMNB Portsmouth on 27 Feb, disembarking 815 NAS 234 Flight Lynx HMA.8 to Yeovilton. Cougar 13 |
| Sep 24, 2014 | West India Dock (TQ) visit to Docklands for Royal Navy Reserve open day on 27 Sep and Freedom of the City of Westminster parade on Sep 28. Departed 29 Sep. Thames Quay |
| Nov 2014 | HMD Portsmouth Type 23 Mid Life Upgrade: refit at HMD Portsmouth (15 Dock), including new Command Systems and Artisan 3D radar fit, by BAE Systems. Refloated 8 Oct 2015. Sea Wolf replaced by Sea Ceptor. Completed Jan 2017. surface and low level air search radar Type 997 |
| Aug 1, 2017 | North Western Approaches participated in NATO exercise Saxon Warrior 17 Exercise Saxon Warrior 17 |
| Jan 2018 | in Home Waters as Fleet Ready Escort |
| Mar 31, 2019 | King George V Dock (Glasgow) Part of NATO SNMG1, arrived in Glasgow, for JW19-1. Then proceeding to 6 month NATO Baltic deployment. JW19-1 Exercise Joint Warrior 19-1 |
| Aug 3, 2019 | shadowed PLAN Xian through English Channel as she returned to China from St Petersburg Navy Days. FRE |
| Aug 5, 2019 | West India Dock (TQ) visted West India Dock until 8 Aug. Exercised Freedom of the City rights on 7 Aug. Thames Quay |
| May 2020 | 814 NAS Tungsten Flt Merlin embarked. |
| May 17, 2021 | Crombie Jetty visited Crombie for storing |
| Oct 2021 | spent a period in the North Atlantic on anti-submarine operations as the UK Towed-Array Patrol Ship (TAPS), with Kingfisher Flt of 814 NAS Merlin HM.2 embarked. |
| Sep 2, 2022 |  off Brittany escorted Russian Federation Surface Group (Marshall Ustinov, Vice-Admiral Kulakov and replenishment vessel Vyazma) through the Western Approaches and southern Celtic Sea as they returned from the Black Sea, having been handed off from HMS Lancaster some way off Brittany. SNMG1 |
| Sep 7, 2022 | joined exercise to sink ex-USS Boone in North Atlantic, with two Harpoon missiles. Ex Atlantic Thunder |
| Oct 2022 | HMD Devonport arrived in Devonport to commence refit, which was subsequently suspended having never entered the dry dock |
| May 2024 | another low key withdrawl from service, without a decommissioning ceremony to draw attention |
| Mar 2026 | in Rotten Row, awaiting scrapping in Turkey |