HMS Cornwall has sailed from Devonport for a six-month deployment as the flagship of a NATO naval task group operating in the war on terror in the Mediterranean.

The Type 22 frigate will work alongside the navies of Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the United States as part of the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT or SNFL, colloquially known as ‘Sniffle’).

Her ship’s company recently completed operational sea training as part of routine work following a maintenance period in her home port. Her maintenance programme included an upgrade of her communications capability.

In February she sailed briefly as an escort for the Amphibious Task Group heading for the Gulf.

The Commanding Officer of HMS Cornwall, Capt Simon Charlier, said: “I am delighted to be working with our NATO partners and honoured that Cornwall is flagship of the group unit under the command of Cdre Richard Ibbotson.

“The ship’s company enjoyed Christmas with their families and have had a very busy time preparing for this deployment. I know they will rise to whatever challenges lie ahead.”

STANAVFORLANT was formed at Portland in Dorset in 1968 as the world’s first permanent international peacetime force.

Its ships are supplied by any of the member nations of NATO, and although its original purpose was to patrol the 12 million square miles of the North Atlantic shipping lanes, demonstrating in tangible form the unity and common purpose of the NATO alliance, it has been called upon to patrol in other regions when required, as in this instance in the Mediterranean.

Overall command of the force is exercised by the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic at Norfolk, Virginia in the United States.

The task of the force has been likened to that of a policeman on the beat – it harms no one but is a deterrent to wrongdoers.