At the weekend the frigate HMS Richmond left Devonport to join HMS Diamond in the task force protecting international shipping from attacks by Houthi militias. The Royal Navy now has ships and forces on operations from the Baltic to the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, the Gulf and beyond.
The offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent is standing off Guyana to offer Britain’s support in a tussle with Venezuela over oil-rich territory. Not that such a lightly-armed vessel could do much if it came to a shooting war with Nicolas Maduro’s forces.
