Editing HMS Cumberland (F85) (section)

== History ==

On commissioning she became part of the [[8th Frigate Squadron (United Kingdom)|8th Frigate Squadron]].  Her first commanding officer was Captain [[Michael Gregory (Royal Navy officer)|Mike Gregory]]. Captain Gregory, a submariner, was previously awarded the [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] for the longest continuously submerged patrol in Royal Navy history.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

The ship's first two deployments were to the US and Canada, in 1989 and 1990 respectively. The first in 1989 called at both [[Fort Lauderdale]] and [[Baltimore]] where the ship became the focus of an anti-nuclear protest over suspicions that the ship carried nuclear weapons. In 1990, she again crossed the Atlantic to visit [[New York City|New York]], before sailing North to the [[St Lawrence Seaway]] with a brief stop in [[Montreal]] followed by a 10-day visit to [[Toronto]]. This was followed by an unscheduled 24-hour stop in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]] to repair some ship equipment damaged in bad weather, and then a visit to [[St John's, Newfoundland]].

She spent the winter of 1990–91 as the Royal Navy surface vessel patrolling the [[Falkland Islands]]. She sailed to [[South Georgia Island|South Georgia]] just before Christmas arriving at [[Grytviken]] on 22 December. She sailed along the coast of South Georgia and returned to Grytviken on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Day she hosted the soldiers of the South Georgia garrison aboard for Christmas Day lunch of venison.  The stag had been shot the day before by a sniper from the garrison; part of the garrison's duties being to control the deer population on the Island. While in South Georgia the ship manoeuvred into Cumberland Bay where a [[glacier]] sweeps into the sea.  A photograph of the ship with the glacier as a back-drop was taken from the ship's [[Lynx]] [[helicopter]].  Ice was collected from the glacier and kept in the ship's freezers for use at cocktail parties during the return leg of her patrol.

On 26 September 2000, ''Cumberland'' worked with local fishermen to aid the rescue of survivors of the Greek ferry ''[[Express Samina]]'' which ran aground two miles off the island of [[Paros]].

In 2003 ''Cumberland'' embarked two teams from M Squadron, Special Boat Service (SBS) and (in partnership with [[RFA Wave Knight (A389)|RFA ''Wave Knight'']]) seized 3.6 tonnes of cocaine in the mid-Atlantic as part of an anti-drug operation. In October 2005 she intercepted and boarded a speedboat in the [[Caribbean Sea]] off [[Nicaragua]] from which they seized two tonnes of [[cocaine]], and detained four suspects. The cocaine was estimated to have a street value of £200 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4394392.stm |title=Drugs bust a 'Sledgehammer' blow |publisher=BBC |date=1 November 2005 |access-date=12 November 2008}}</ref>

During this time Chris Cranmer, the first registered [[Satanism|Satanist]] serving in the Royal Navy, was a technician on board the vessel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article498640.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304030001/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article498640.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2007 |title=How the devil do you get a Satanist in the Navy? |work=[[The Times]]|last=Evans |first=Michael |date=25 October 2004 |access-date=12 November 2008 | location=London}}</ref> On 18 May 2006 ''Cumberland'' escorted [[Dee Caffari]], sailing ''Aviva'', across the finish-line (at [[Lizard Point, Cornwall|Lizard Point]]) as she became the first woman to sail single-handedly non-stop around the world "the wrong way" (against the prevailing wind and tide).

''Cumberland'' completed an 18-month refit in 2008.<ref name=BBC22Mar11Cumberland_should_be_saved>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-12819959 BBC News Devon, 22 March 2011, ''HMS Cumberland should be saved, sailors' families say''.]</ref>

In October 2008, ''Cumberland'' was assigned to anti-[[piracy]] duties along with 6 other ships as part of [[Standing NATO Maritime Group 2|Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2)]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nato.int/shape/news/2008/10/081015a.html |title=Standing NATO Maritime Group transits Suez Canal en route to anti-piracy duties |publisher=NATO SHAPE |date=15 October 2008 |access-date=12 November 2008}}</ref> As part of her duties in SNMG2, on 11 November 2008, ''Cumberland'' went to the aid of a Danish vessel that had [[Action of 11 November 2008|come under attack from pirates]]. The pirates opened fire on two of ''Cumberland''{{'}}s launches; 3 pirates died when the Royal Marines returned fire on the [[dhow]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5141745.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123234848/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5141745.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 November 2008 |title=Royal Navy in firefight with Somali pirates |work=The Times |last=Evans |first=Michael |date=12 November 2008 |access-date=12 November 2008 | location=London}}</ref>

During her 2010 deployment to the [[Persian Gulf]], ''Cumberland'' rotated between [[Maritime Security Operations|maritime security patrol duty]] and escort duty with the [[French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)|French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'']] in support of coalition military operations in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]].  This represented an example of [[Combined operations|interoperability]] pursuant to the [[Franco-British Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty and Downing Street Declaration|recently ratified Franco-British defence co-operation treaty]].<ref>{{cite web | title= Navy ship joins French carrier for Christmas | url= http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Navy-ship-joins-French-carrier.6669505.jp | archive-url= https://archive.today/20130421021228/http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Navy-ship-joins-French-carrier.6669505.jp | url-status= dead | archive-date= 21 April 2013 | work= The News | publisher= [[Johnston Press Digital Publishing]] | date= 23 December 2010 | access-date= 23 December 2010 }}</ref>

In February 2011, it was announced that the ship would be scrapped in April 2011 in a government spending review to meet UK government cuts to the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|MOD]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12574757|title=Cumberland to be scrapped in April 2011|publisher=BBC News|date=25 February 2011}}</ref>

===Libya operations===
On 22 February 2011, [[British Foreign Secretary]] [[William Hague]] announced that ''Cumberland'', while transiting the Mediterranean on her return to the UK for decommissioning, would be redeployed to Libyan waters to assist in Operation Deference, the evacuation of British citizens and other nationals affected by the [[2011 Libyan civil war]].<ref>{{cite news |title=UK plans to fly Britons out of Libya amid unrest |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12545147 |newspaper=BBC News |date=22 February 2011 |access-date=22 February 2011}}</ref> ''Cumberland'' entered the [[Port of Benghazi]] on 24 February. The ship left the same day with an international collection of 454 passengers that included 129 British nationals plus European and American nationals,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-12571376|title=Britons flee Libya on navy frigate bound for Malta|publisher=BBC News|date=24 February 2011|quote=In 2011, HMS Cumberland was docked in Benghazi port, and deployed in Libyan territorial waters, on Thursday 24 February, Sunday 27 February, and Sunday 6 March |access-date=24 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=Hansard17Mar11c513>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110317/text/110317w0001.htm Hansard 17 Mar 2011, Column 513W ] states that on Thursday 24 February, Sunday 27 February, and Sunday 6 March "she evacuated over 400 entitled persons including over 120 British nationals."</ref> and transferred them to safety in Malta.<ref name=Cumblerland14Mar11>[http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/type-22-frigates/hms-cumberland/news/defence_secretary_dr.htm MoD Website, ''Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox Visits Malta'' 14 March 2011]</ref> All European Union citizens were entitled to rescue by the ''Cumberland'', but needed to carry a passport or other document that could serve as proof of nationality; would-be passengers were advised to telephone the British embassy in Malta.<ref name=SofiaEcho06Mar11>[http://sofiaecho.com/2011/03/06/1054160_bulgarians-other-eu-citizens-offered-evacuation-from-benghazi-on-hms-cumberland Sofia Echo, 6 March 2011, ''Bulgarians, other EU citizens offered evacuation from Benghazi on HMS Cumberland''.]</ref>

In March 2011, ''Cumberland'' took part in [[Operation Ellamy]], the British role in the coalition action during the [[2011 Libyan civil war]] by enforcing a naval blockade.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1123-royal-navy-blockade-forces-gaddafis-gunboats-off-the-ocean.aspx| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110326061530/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1123-royal-navy-blockade-forces-gaddafis-gunboats-off-the-ocean.aspx| archive-date = 2011-03-26| title = Royal Navy blockade forces Gaddafi's gunboats off the ocean}}</ref> The life of the ''Cumberland'' has been extended so that the UK "armed forces remain equipped to protect in this conflict."<ref name=Hansard23Mar11c940>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110323/debtext/110323-0001.htm Hansard 23 Mar 2011, Column 940]</ref>

{{cquote|Since frigates [[HMS Westminster (F237)|HMS ''Westminster'']] and ''Cumberland'' began enforcing the United Nations Resolution with other Allied naval forces on Friday [18 March 2011], the dictator's ships had shown "a very marked reluctance" to leave their bases... As well as ensuring arms do not slip through the naval cordon drawn across the Gulf of Sirte, both ships are using their surveillance suites to monitor activities along the Libyan coast, providing vital intelligence for the overall mission. Both frigates remain on station off the Libyan coast in full defence posture – defence watches, anti-flash, upper deck guns manned.<ref name=MoD23Mar11Blockade>[http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/type-23-frigates/hms-westminster/news/the_naval_blockade_o.htm MoD ''Royal Navy Blockade Forces Gaddafi's Gunboats off the Ocean'', 23 March 2011]</ref>}}

''Cumberland'' was transferred to [[Operation Unified Protector]] under [[NATO]] command at the end of March.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/HmsCumberlandReadyForEmbargoOperationsInLibya.htm|title=HMS Cumberland ready for embargo operations in Libya|publisher=Ministry of Defence|date=29 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafAndNavyPatrolLibyanSkiesAndSeas.htm|title=RAF and Navy patrol Libyan skies and seas|publisher=Ministry of Defence|date=31 March 2011}}</ref>