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Royal Navy warship visits Saqr Port

Published December 13, 2010

HMS Cumberland type 22 frigate docked in SAQR PORT on the 9th of December 2010 to enhance brotherly ties and defence cooperation between the UK and UAE.

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, visited the British Royal Navy warship accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah.

Sheikh Saud was received onboard the ship by Captain Steve Dainton, Commanding Officer of HMS Cumberland, H.E. Dominic Jermey, British Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Guy Warrington, Consul General at British Embassy in Dubai, and other top naval officers who had earlier called on Sheikh Saud at the Al Dhait Palace. The British Embassy in Abu Dhabi said that the ship visit is a celebration of the UK's special relationship with the Emirate, the Ruling family and the people of Ras Al Khaimah. Captain Steve Dainton said that the he was honoured to be in Ras Al Khaimah and to meet H.H. Sheikh Saud onboard the ship. "The entire personnel onboard HMS Cumberland is delighted to be here in Ras Al Khaimah and to have this opportunity to further the close relations between the UAE and the United Kingdom," he added.

The frigate was received at the Saqr Port by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Customs and Ports Department, A ceremonial 21 gun salute was performed by the visiting ship as it approached the port. The formal visits paid by British naval ships to Ras Al Khaimah for the past several years underscore the historical link between the Emirate and the Royal Navy.

HMS Cumberland has been deployed in the Arabian Gulf since October 2010 and is engaged in maritime security patrols, using her helicopter and boarding teams to detect and deter maritime crime, and promoting a safe maritime environment in the region.

The 148-metre ship has a displacement of 4,600 tonnes. It has two Rolls Royce Spey gas turbines and two Rolls Royce Tyne gas turbines and four diesel generators that provide four megatwatts of electricity to the ship's systems. It has a crew of about about 285. The Plymouth, England-based warship can engage targets on, above and below the water's surface with armaments that include:- Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, Seawolf missiles, which provide self-defence against air attack, Stingray torpedoes, which can be launched from the ship's helicopter and Sea Skua anti-ship missiles.