Royal Navy’s HMS Montrose calls in to support CMF exercise |26 September 2022
Commanding Officer of HMS Montrose Claire Thompson (left) and British High Commissioner Patrick Lynch
Seychelles has welcomed the first Navy ship to visit the country since 2015, the Royal Navy ship, HMS Montrose.
In celebration of its arrival, the Royal Navy in collaboration with the British high commission hosted a reception on board the vessel on Friday evening, attended by over 80 guests including Vice-President Ahmed Afif, members of cabinet, and of the National Assembly.
HMS Montrose’s visit is in support of Operation Southern Readiness, a two-week joint operation exercise launched by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the largest multinational maritime partnership established to promote security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
Seychelles was the 27th country to join the CMF in 2012, although the network has since grown to 34 member countries.
The two-week exercise hosted by Seychelles is grouping together military partners and collaborators from different member states, and is being held in partnership with the Seychelles Defence Forces, the European Naval Force, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, and India, with the aim of strengthening regional collaboration, and enhancing regional readiness.
Beginning the evening with a moment of silence in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, British High Commissioner Patrick Lynch affirmed the UK’s enduring commitment to maintaining peace and stability, and expressed his hope that the ship’s visit will further support Seychelles in its efforts to combat threats to maritime security in the region.
“Our reception this evening allows us the very special opportunity to welcome HMS Montrose and its Royal Navy crew to Seychelles and to welcome on board our valued local friends and partners,” he said.
“On land and at sea, we stand together as democratic partners. Where some pursue narrow and malign agendas and contravene the Rules Based International System, the UK is very proud to pursue an agenda that seeks to protect and promote the independence, sovereignty, democracy and prosperity of these islands,” Mr Lynch stated.
HMS Montrose, currently led by Commanding Officers Claire Thompson and Paul Irving, has made immense contributions to maritime security, particularly in the Gulf regions, since 1980.
Well-equipped for counter-narcotic operations with her Wildcat helicopter equipped with first-rate sensors to identify suspicious vessels on the ocean's surface, the warship has been central towards the fight against illegal narcotics in the region.
Based in Bahrain for the past three years, this year alone, Montrose and crew have seized almost R2 billion worth of illegal drugs, amounting to nearly two tonnes of narcotics.
There have also been significant weapons seizures, interdicting speedboats being operated by smugglers in international waters south of Iran and seizing Iranian surface-to-air-missiles and engines for land attack cruise missiles.
Designated Minister and Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy Jean-François Ferrari asserted the importance of the maritime domain to the small-island state, with the protection of maritime resources, maritime security, suppression of illegal activities, being of utmost priority to Seychelles.
“As a large maritime nation with strong dependence on the sea for its livelihood and survival, Seychelles, as always, remains committed to collaborating with all friendly foreign partners and other stakeholders in ensuring that together, we protect the free flow of commerce, ensure the security of our region, and deter any form of illicit activity,” Minister Ferrari stated.
Over its stay, the two hundred crew members of HMS Montrose will actively be contributing to the British high commission's Shared Values programme. This includes work with Seychellois community groups in support of orphanages, elderly care homes, environmental projects and the popular Seychelles Schools Premier League.
HMS Montrose is due to leave Seychelles tomorrow.
Laura Pillay
