This in from the Royal Navy, in their own words, Ed
Lieutenant Commander Paul Laidler, Chief Petty Officer Gary ‘Chubbs’ Peterson and Leading Chef Mark Stokes-Lilly are currently serving in the Portsmouth based frigate, joining up with other NATO ships in Spain before moving into the Baltic region as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1).
This is the first time that the UK has sent a ship in support of SNMG1 for 13 years and is a sign of the UK’s increasing commitment to NATO.
The Task Group will be operating within the Baltic region but will also make stops in London and Scotland as part of the programme.
CPO Peterson, 30, who attended Cowes High School, is the onboard Power Systems Group Head, meaning he is responsible for providing power across the ship.
He said:
“Iron Duke has worked hard throughout 2015 to get ready for this deployment. It’s impressive to be part of such a large operation, with a variety of nations involved.”
One of the UK’s most capable warships
Portsmouth based Iron Duke is one of the UK’s most capable warships, able to operate in all regions of the world with a multi-role capability that means it has fighting capability against Air, Surface and Sub-Surface threats.
For many of the ship’s company, this will be their first lengthy trip away from home.
Lt Cdr Laidler, 38, who attended Sandown High School, is the Weapon Engineering Officer onboard and is charge of the Weapon Engineering Department.
He added:
“Periods of time away from home are always difficult for all those onboard and it can be even more challenging for those we leave behind. But knowing what we are achieving whilst on operations with other nations can help ease the challenge slightly.”
The Ship is due to return in July 2016
