Destroyer HMS Edinburgh has left Portsmouth on a five-month deployment which will see her working as part of the NATO effort in the Mediterranean.

The Type 42 warship will also take part in an exercise off Scotland as part of the validation process for a new NATO maritime response force.

Edinburgh is first heading for the Med, where she will complement the NATO Standing Naval Forces in the region, working alongside ships from five other nations.

Her main task will be the implementation of Operation Active Endeavour, which monitors shipping in the busy sea lanes in a bid to cut the supply lines to terrorist organisations.

The destroyer will be back in home waters in mid-June when she and allied warships will take part in a joint maritime exercise off north-west Scotland, part of the process of creating the new NATO Response Force (Maritime).

Once that is finished, she will head back south to the Mediterranean for further NATO operations and exercises.

Commanding Officer Cdr Ross Tuppen said: “After a challenging period of training during the first part of the year HMS Edinburgh is raring to go.

“NATO is one of the cornerstones of our defence policy. With the expanding Alliance in transition, it will be an exciting opportunity to work with both existing and new Alliance members, and as part of the NATO response force.”