British Frigate Due Here On Oct 30
By Azaraimy HH

Bandar Seri Begawan - HMS Westminster of the Royal British Navy will be arriving in Brunei October 30, at Muara Port after taking part in multi-national exercises in the South China Sea and visiting the Japanese island of Okinawa, Tokyo, Pusan and Shanghai.

Her visit to Brunei allows her crew not only a chance for rest and relaxation and to see the sights of Brunei, but also a chance for the ship and her crew to host an official reception and conduct tours of the ship for local groups.

Members of the crew will also be assisting in the renovation of rooms at a Childrens ward at a local hospital and a Government centre for the disabled.

HMS Westminster sails on November 2, to Indonesia before returning to the UK in December 2006.

HMS Westminster is complemented with a mixed male and female crew of 202 personnel. She is equipped to be employed in a number of roles but is principally an antisubmarine warfare (AS W) platform with a range of sonars available.

Her Merlin helicopter is a highly capable multi role aircraft that has its own dipping sonar and sonar buoys used to detect submarines at even greater ranges.

It can locate, track or attack with its own torpedoes or direct other assets to the target. Its radar can assist in compiling the surface picture and identifying enemy ships that can then be attacked with the ship's long range missile, Harpoon, or. it can identify targets ashore that can be engaged with our 4.5" gun in support of troops such as Royal Marines ashore.

At the forefront of today's modern, well-equipped Royal Navy, HMS Westminster's highly trained and resilient crew are operating on the far side of the world from home, ready to respond whenever and wherever required.

An extremely capable and versatile ship, she is able to tackle a wide range of challenging situations, ranging from disaster relief, search and rescue and evacuating civilians from a potential conflict zone, to the more traditional military tasks of peace support and reconnaissance.

HMS Westminster is the eighth ship of the Duke Class (Type 23 Frigate) and the second to bear the name.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with