Type 23 frigate HMS Portland will be one of the main attractions at this year’s Navy Days down in Plymouth.

Open to the public, the frigate will be specially equipped to allow particularly access for the disabled. She will be berthed in a non-tidal basin, at a height level with the jetty, and special ramps are under construction to make sure that as many people as possible can see around a modern warship.

This welcoming time alongside at her home port of Devonport follows on from the Type 23’s recent role in this year’s largest anti-terrorist exercise off the eastern coast of Scotland.

This is one of a series of exercises that have been putting Portland through her paces in recent months.

Earlier this year the Type 23 was back off Scotland – but to the western side this time – taking part in a large multi-national exercise testing her war-fighting capability in a JMC (Joint Maritime Course).

This was followed by a week in the warmer climes of the Mediterranean, conducting a week’s high tempo training in support of the Royal Navy’s future warfare officers.

As part of the tough drill that these officers are put through, fast jets from the UK flew daily mock air attacks along with simultaneous live firing of the 4.5 inch gun. In just one week over 300 rounds were fired from the gun.

Prior to honing the frigate’s fighting skills, HMS Portland had been part of NATO’s Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (SNFM), where she had been patrolling the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Global War on Terror.

During her time with NATO, Portland carried out boardings of vessels suspected of carrying weapons, explosives or illegal immigrants.

These boardings were conducted using the ship’s Lynx helicopter, known as the Demon Stag in deference to the ship’s crest, a stag’s head.

The current HMS Portland is the eighth ship to bear the name.

HMS Portland was launched at the shipyard of the then Marconi Marine at Scotstown on the Clyde on 15 May 1999 by Lady Heather Brigstocke.

The Ship was accepted into service by the Royal Navy on 15 December 2000 and was commissioned on 3 May the following year. The penultimate in a class of fifteen ships, she achieved a top speed of 30.8 knots during contractor's sea trials in the Summer of 2000 and claims this as a record across the entire class.

During the Ship's first visit to the Island of Portland in June 2001, the Earl of Portland gave his blessing to the Ship adopting his family motto "Craignez Honte", which translates as "Fear Dishonour". The family crest is also depicted on the flag HMS Portland flies whilst carrying out replenishment at sea operations."

Facts and Figures
Class:	Type 23 frigate
Pennant number:	F230
Builder:	Yarrow Shipbuilder Limited, Clyde
Launched:	July 11, 1987
Accepted:	November 24, 1989
Commissioned:	June 1, 1990
Displacement:	4,000 tonnes
Length:	133 metres
Beam:	16 metres
Speed:	28 knots (max)
Range:	7,800 nautical miles at 15 knots
Complement:	177 (not including Flight)
Propulsion:	Combined diesel-electric and gas: four 1.3mW Paxman Valenta diesels; two 1.5mW GEC Electric DC motors; two 12.75mW Rolls Royce Spey Gas Turbines; two GEC Double Reduction Gearboxes; two fixed pitch propellers
Weapons:	4.5in Mk 8 Gun Mod 1; eight McDonnell Douglas Harpoon; Sea Skua missiles; vertical launch Seawolf; two 30mm BMARC cannon; four 6-barrel Seagnat Chaff dispensers; magazine torpedo launch system with Stingray torpedoes and depth charges
Sensors:	996 Plessey surveillance radar; two 911 Marconi Seawolf trackers; BAE GPEQD; 2031E towed array sonar; 2050 bow sonar; UAT ESM system; and 1007 Kelvin Hughes and 1008 RACAL-DECCA navigational radars