Type 23 frigate HMS Norfolk has returned home after a busy five-month deployment in the Arabian Gulf.

The warship returned to Devonport after handing over duties to sister frigate HMS Grafton, which will now patrol Iraqi coastal waters to deter oil smugglers and protect oil terminals as part of the rebuilding process.

Norfolk’s entry to the Gulf brought a swift result last year – the merchant ship mv Noora 1 was detained for smuggling oil out of Iraq, depriving the struggling nation of much-needed revenue.

Norfolk was also soon into her defence diplomacy role, visiting Kuwait for British Week and hosting a reception on board for the Duke of York.

The visit also gave the ship’s rugby players the opportunity to compete as a Sevens team in the renowned Dubai tournament, winning the Plate competition of the International Social Overseas section.

A shore party from the ship, led by Executive Warrant Officer Scouse Osborne, travelled overland from Kuwait to Iraq to help start generators powering an Iraqi port, and work on water irrigation schemes.

Five more such parties followed, helping the British Army in Basra with jobs as diverse as fixing galley and hospital equipment to building boats for the newly-formed Iraqi Riverine Patrol Service, trained by the Senior Service.

Shortly after a Christmas break in Dubai, the frigate helped the stricken fishing dhow the Al Asraa, which had been adrift at sea for several days. Engineer from the British warship restarted the dhow’s engines, allowing the crew to return safely to port.

On her return journey to the UK the frigate visited Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, strengthening the ties between Britain and the desert kingdom. During the visit the ship acted as a venue for promoting UK trade in a defence industry day.

Norfolk’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Tony Radakin, said: “The deployment has been a great success and operationally very interesting.

“We have worked with over a dozen different navies, gone to Iraq and contributed to its rebuilding in a number of ways, and we have participated in a range of naval exercises.”

Type 23 frigates form half of the Royal Navy’s destroyer/frigate force, and although they were originally designed as anti-submarine platforms, they are required to perform a wide range of roles, including patrols as far afield as the Gulf and the South Atlantic.