HMS Richmond has spent the majority of April in her home port of Portsmouth, allowing the ship's company to take their Easter Leave and commencing the last Fleet Time Support Period (FTSP) before the ship deploys in June.

FTSPs are four-week periods of maintenance and other engineering work which are planned approximately every eight months during the ship's life. In many ways similar to servicing a car, the FTSP allows the ship's engineering departments to tackle the major engineering jobs which cannot be done at sea.

Assistance is given by Royal Navy staff in the dockyard in conjunction with Fleet Support Limited, Portsmouth Naval Base's partner company. The FTSP also allows certain equipments to be upgraded to give the ship new capabilities.

HMS Richmond is the first operational ship to have her 4.5" gun upgraded to fire new Improved Ammunition which increases the range of the gun significantly.

Remaining on the engineering theme, the prowess of one of Richmond's maintainers was recently recognised by the Worshipful Company of Engineers. Petty Officer Chris Shaw has been awarded the 2003 Service Award for his outstanding achievement in keeping the ship's helicopter handling system operational during the latter stages of the Gulf deployment, thus allowing the helicopter to continue to operate from the ship.

HMS Richmond is now making final preparations for her pre-deployment Operational Sea Training which will commence in May. This testing period will exercise all areas of the ship's capability to ensure that she is ready in all respects for her next deployment.