February 2012

LIVERPOOL – Fleet Ready Escort - The Type 45 Destroyer LIVERPOOL, due to decommission at the end of March 2012, had a final flourish taken up the role of Fleet Ready Escort, and was promptly deployed to Shadow the Russian aircraft carrier ADMIRAL KUZNETSOV as the ship made her way "home" north around British waters.      The LIVERPOOL followed the carrier led Russian task group from the English Channel, off the south west coast of England, to the seas off South West Ireland.     After a handover (from the French 80m Corvette LE HENAFF), the LIVERPOOL took up position between the UK and the Russian task group, shadowing them as they progressed north past Land's End, then onto Ireland.     The task group of two warships and five support ships were making their way home from the Mediterranean to the Northern and Baltic fleets of the Russian Navy.

The role of Fleet Ready Escort was left uncovered during the long Libyan campaign due to a lack of resources ie: Destroyers and Frigates.   Another casualty of the British presence on the Libyan Coast was the Counter Drugs operations (in the Caribbean).