HMS Duncan meets with US ship to refuel on trade route mission

Maritime September 4, 2019

HMS Duncan met with the US Navy’s USNS Alan Shepard during trade route mission to refuel.

The Type 45 destroyer met with the US cargo ship to refuel during its trade route mission of protecting British ships in the Strait of Hormuz. HMS Duncan, alongside HMS Montrose, had been protecting ships in the channel between Oman and Iran, which is an important route in global trade.

The ship has been deployed for five months and arrived in the Strait last month following confrontations on the shipping route. The ship previously worked in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean alongside local forces.

HMS Duncan’s Commanding Officer Commander Tom Trent said: “Although a highly efficient ship and a quantum leap in reduced fuel consumption from her predecessor, the Type 42, HMS Duncan needs fuel to provide a continuous presence here in the Middle East.”

“Thanks to our US partners, HMS Duncan was topped up after this ‘pit stop’ and straight back to work.”

HMS Duncan’s navigator Lieutenant Andy Osborne said: “With the extreme heat and humidity felt at this time of year, coupled with recent events, the risk is higher than usual. The team were well prepared and ever vigilant to ensure the RAS continued smoothly and successfully into the darkness as the sun set.”

Refuelling is a difficult task that requires two large ships sailing extremely close together having to remain stable to allow for refuelling. Following the stop, the ship returned to work in the Strait of Hormuz protecting British ships conducting trade through the passage against adversarial ships.

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fuel HMS Duncan HMS Montrose international trade Middle East Navy trade