Dates: 1991 -
From July 2004 to July 2005 she underwent an extensive refit at Number 1 dock inner at Babcock’s dockyard in Rosyth, her first refit since build. This equipped her with an updated suite of weapons and sensors (eg a modified 4.5" Gun and the latest Low Frequency Active Sonar) and of propulsion and mechanical systems. Improvements were also made to the living quarters and a state of the art galley to feed the Ship’s Company.
Large areas of corroded deck have also been replaced. Also replaced were corroded areas of the flight deck, improving the lighting system that the pilots will use during night landings and installing a new helicopter handling system to move a 13 ton Merlin helicopter safely in and out of the hangar. (Although the Type 23 was originally designed to operate the Merlin, Northumberland had previously only hosted the much smaller Lynx.) This means she will not need another refit until 2010-2011.
She rejoined the fleet by her attendance at the Trafalgar 200 celebrations at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, then embarked for her first period of sea training, starting with BOST (Basic Operational Sea Training) in January 2006, straight after the Christmas leave period. For a time during 2006 she then accompanied the submarine HMS Torbay on her deployment to the US AUTEC (Acoustic Undersea Testing and Evaluation Centre) which is based on Andros Island in the Bahamas.
Over two tonnes of cocaine (with a street-value of ?135 million) were seized in November 1999 in the Caribbean Sea by Northumberland, in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Northumberland
" Aircraft Carriers. Ship Name, Launch Date, Displacement, Total Crew. HMS Invincible 1977--22,000--1051. HMS Illustrious 197--22,000--1051. HMS Ark Royal 1981--22,000--1051. Amphibious Assault Ships Ship. HMS Ocean 1995--20,700--265. HMS Albion 2001--18,500--363. HMS Bulwark ..."
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" Britain’s senior Royal Navy commander in the Gulf has called for merchant shipping to hire mercenaries to fight off the increasing danger of piracy. At a time when there is a record number of ships being hijacked off the coast of Somalia, Commodore Keith Winstanley said he believed ..."
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" Britain is to send a warship to combat piracy off the East African coast amid concerns that a spate of violent attacks on shipping could drive up oil prices. The increasingly treacherous waters off the Horn of Africa are regularly used by Shell Oil, as well as by aid agencies shipping food. John ..."
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" MoD has issued a statement regarding HMS Northumberland and the pirates. Members living on or near Wapping Old Stairs are invited to let us know if Execution Dock is being made ready. The hemp must need replacement by now. The statement says: The Royal Navy already plays an active ..."
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" The Falkland Islands are to be left without the protection of a British warship for the first time since the war with Argentina because the Royal Navy no longer has enough ships to meet all its commitments. The frigate HMS Northumberland, which is armed with guided missiles, torpedoes and a Lynx ..."
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