After a tour of the UK that included visits to Cork and affiliated towns of Richmond-Upon-Thames and Richmond, North Yorkshire, HMS RICHMOND returned to her home port of Portsmouth to prepare for refit. The ship was de-stored and stripped of fittings and personal belongings before being handed over to the refitting contractors Fleet Support Limited (FSL). All but 35 of the Ship's Company have now moved on to serve in other ships and establishments, although a percentage of them will return to RICHMOND when the ship emerges in 2006.

FSL won the contract to refit the ship, against fierce competition from Scotland and the South West and was a universally popular choice with the Ship's Company. As the first ship to undergo a refit in Portsmouth for 15 years, HMS RICHMOND introduces a new generation of engineering repair and support for the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.

Under the auspices of the title 'Team Portsmouth' FSL, Ships Staff, the Frigates Integrated Project Team and Portsmouth Naval Base are collaborating in a partnering arrangement that works together towards a common aim of producing quality work, on schedule and within budget in an open forum. HMS RICHMOND is proud to be part of this alliance that represents a forward thinking and revolutionary approach for Portsmouth that is already seeing benefits in the close working harmony between all sides.