HMS Defender returns to Glasgow

HMS Defender has returned to the River Clyde for a four-day visit to her affiliated city.

Most recently HMS Defender was deployed to escort a Russian naval task group – keeping a watchful eye on frigate Admiral Gorshkov and three auxiliary ships as they moved through international waters off the UK coastline.  

The Type 45 Destroyer, which was built on the Clyde by BAE Systems, is visiting Glasgow ahead of her participation in Exercise Joint Warrior, where she will join 34 warships and five submarines for multinational military exercises off the coast of Scotland.   

Berthed at Govan’s King George V Docks, just a mile down river from where she was built, Defender will be open to the public on Sunday when hundreds of ticket-holders will have the opportunity to tour the high-tech vessel and chat to members of the 190-strong crew.

Other private visits have been arranged for local school pupils, students from colleges and universities, Sea Cadets and shipbuilders from BAE Systems’ two Clyde yards. 

The Commanding Officer of HMS Defender, Commander Richard Hewitt, said: “It is always a special visit to the home town of a ship, and Glasgow is no exception.  

“The ship’s company of HMS Defender has been eagerly awaiting this visit which has given us a fantastic opportunity to not only renew links with local organisations and affiliates, but also to meet members of the local community.  

“The visit is not only a home town visit, but it is also the place where HMS Defender was built and launched, making this visit truly unique.”

Constructed at BAE Surface Ships Govan and launched at Scotstoun, Defender is one of six Clyde-built Daring class Destroyers in service with the Royal Navy. 

The Daring class warship’s main role is to shield the Fleet from air attack using her sophisticated Sea Viper Missile System. The versatile warships also operate around the globe providing humanitarian aid and hunting pirates and drug runners. 

Recently sister-ship HMS Dragon has been in action in the Middle East, making eight massive drug hauls and seizing £145m worth of narcotics.  

The Clyde has a long and proud history of constructing Royal Navy warships.  Not only were Defender and her five sister ships built on the Clyde, but BAE Systems are currently working on 13 new ships for the Royal Navy – five new Offshore Patrol Vessels, which will conduct counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling operations around the UK coastline, and eight submarine hunting Type 26 frigates, supporting 1,700 jobs on the Clyde, and a further 2,300 in the supply chain across the UK.