According to information published by the UK MoD on July 7, 2022, HMS Montrose seized dozens of packages containing advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles.
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Iranian surface-to-air missiles and engines for cruise missiles seized by the Royal Navy. (Picture source: UK MoD)
In early 2022, whilst on routine maritime security operations, the Royal Navy ship HMS Montrose seized Iranian weapons from speedboats being operated by smugglers in international waters south of Iran.
The weapons seized included surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles, in contravention of UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015). This is the first time a British Naval warship has interdicted a vessel carrying such sophisticated weapons from Iran.
The seizures, which occurred on 28th January and 25th February 2022, took place in the early hours of the morning. HMS Montrose’s Wildcat helicopter, equipped with state-of-the-art radar systems, was scanning for vessels smuggling illicit goods. The helicopter crew spotted small vessels moving at speed away from the Iranian coast.
During the February interdiction, the United States Navy destroyer USS Gridley supported efforts by deploying a Seahawk helicopter to provide critical overwatch during the operation. On both occasions, the Wildcat helicopter pursued the vessels and reported back to HMS Montrose that they could see suspicious cargo on deck.
A team of Royal Marines approached the vessels on two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats before securing and searching the vessel. Dozens of packages containing advanced weaponry were discovered, confiscated, and brought back to HMS Montrose.
The seized packages were returned to the UK for technical analysis which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for the Iranian-produced 351 land-attack cruise missile and a batch of 358 surface-to-air missiles.
The 351 is a cruise missile with a range of 1,000km. It is regularly used by the Houthis to strike targets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was also the type of weapon used to attack Abu Dhabi on 17th January 2022, which killed three civilians.
About HMS Montrose
The current HMS Montrose is the eighth of the sixteen-ship Type 23 or Duke class of frigates, of the Royal Navy, named after the Duke of Montrose. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde and was launched on 31 July 1992.
She was designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare missions, but the frigate is equipped with an additional vertical-launched Seawolf naval surface-to-air missile system and the Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile to be used as anti-surface warfare (ASuW) ship.
HMS Montrose is armed with one 32-cell Sea Wolf GWS.26 VLS canisters for able to fire Sea Wolf (range 1–10 km) or Sea Ceptor missiles (1–25+ km), two quad Harpoon launchers, two twins 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes, one BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun, two 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, or, 2 × 30 mm DS30B guns, two Miniguns, and four General-purpose machine guns.
