AT a time when ‘special relationships’ are in the spotlight, one of Jersey’s appears to be under threat.
Affiliations are a long-standing tradition in the Royal Navy and allow bonds to be formed between warships and places, organisations or other ships.
Since 2010, Jersey has been affiliated with HMS Iron Duke, a Type-23 frigate.
However, according to national reports this week, the warship has been “quietly withdrawn”, having been stripped of its weapons and sensors, meaning that the 133m submarine hunter is permanently out of action without being formally decommissioned.
Well-placed but unofficial Royal Navy-focused website Navy Lookout reported: “Her withdrawal from active service, less than three years after a £103m refit, raises uncomfortable questions about the Royal Navy’s ability to sustain even its much-reduced surface fleet.”
It added that “it appears she is unlikely ever to sail again”.
The warship was last in Jersey in September 2024, although its crew – which have now been transferred to fellow Type 23 HMS Lancaster – were part of last year’s 80th anniversary Liberation Day celebrations.
The crew of HMS Iron Duke have also been granted the freedom to march through St Helier with bayonets fixed.
Responding to inquiries about the warship’s reported withdrawal, a MoD spokesperson told the Independent: “The Royal Navy keeps planned out-of-service dates under continual review as part of routine force planning, balancing operational requirements and affordability. Any decommissioning decisions will be announced in the usual way.”
The spokesperson added: “Through the Strategic Defence Review, we are building a new hybrid Navy – investing in world-class submarines and cutting-edge warships, transforming our aircraft carriers, and introducing autonomous vessels to patrol the North Atlantic and beyond.”
Former affiliated vessel HMS Jersey, an offshore patrol vessel, was scrapped in 1994 at the end of its service life.
