Last week I went down to Romania’s naval base at Constanta to visit the frigate ‘King Ferdinand’ as it makes its final preparations for ‘Operation Unified Protector’, the NATO led operation to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya.
The ‘Ferdinand’ has a distinguished record of service in similar operations, notably ‘Operation Active Endeavour’ – the first NATO operation under Article 5 on collective defence which safeguards the Mediterranean from terrorist threats. She has particular capabilities as a command vessel, being the flagship of the Romanian Navy, and has served as the flagship for the Commander of Operation Active Endeavour during its previous deployments. And she has a special place in our affections since she had distinguished service as ‘HMA Coventry’ before joining the Romanian Navy in 2004.
There has been a ‘King Ferdinand’ in the Romanian Navy since 1930, and the original ship was also known as ‘The Ace of Hearts’. In the ward room of the modern ‘Ferdinand’ there is a heart of oak, fashioned from one of the timbers of Britain’s most famous warship, ‘HMS Victory’ and presented to the ship when she passed from the Royal Navy to the Romanian Navy.This is a fitting symbol of the collective security that Romania and Britain have in NATO. At a time when budgets are tight but the threats in Europe are ever present we depend on each other to provide the capabilities that together assure the security of us all.
The ‘Ferdinand’ is making Romania’s contribution, and I was glad to have the opportunity to wish her well on her mission as she leaves for the Mediterranean this month.