JEDDAH, 8 March 2004 — The HMS Norfolk, a type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy, is in Jeddah Islamic Port for a three-day courtesy visit. Yesterday, the ship, under the command of Commander A.D. Radakin, was host to Vice Admiral Prince Fahd ibn Abdullah, who visited an exhibition of defense equipment and services mounted on the ship by a delegation of British defense contractors.
When the ship leaves Jeddah tomorrow, it will spend two days in a series of exercises with the Saudi Royal Navy.
For most of the 180-strong crew and the ship, this is the first visit to Saudi Arabia. “There are strong historical links between the Saudi Royal Navy and the Royal Navy, and we are here to reinforce these links,” said Commander Radakin. “As a mariner, it’s a particular delight to come to a famous port like Jeddah and to enter the Islamic gateway.”
Part of the function of the visit is to promote British trade with the Kingdom and to reinforce diplomatic ties. The visit comes at the end of a deployment in the Gulf off Basra.
The Norfolk was deployed soon after the Iraq war to assist in the prevention of smuggling and protection of the oil terminals which export 99 percent of Iraqi oil. It was part of an operation run by the occupying forces to assist with the restructuring and normalization of Iraq.
Radakin said Iraq’s vulnerable northern oil pipeline is being sabotaged because it is difficult to protect. “The importance of the terminals is the generation of dollars for the Iraqi government, and that underpins the rebuilding of Iraq for the people,” he said. Currently, the Basra terminal exports between $40 billion and $60 billion a year.
The perceived threat that put the ship off Basra is the same as on shore — dissident and terrorist groups. “It’s more difficult to mount a seaborne attack than on land,” he said. “We are there to deter and protect if need be.”
“Smuggling has been a problem but is being reduced. This ship has made several ‘busts’ catching oil smugglers,” Radakin said.
Out of the complement of 180 crew, 40 are women. “It’s particularly interesting coming here because that composition is highlighted; everywhere else we go it is very, very normal,” Radakin said. “In the Royal Navy, that wouldn’t have been the case 10 years ago — but 10 years on, it has become completely normal.”
He said female crew members do all the same jobs as the men “equally as well if not better. For us it is no longer an issue. Our navigation officer is female, our sister ship has a marine engineer, that goes all through the ship’s company.”
All of them are expected to be on the front line in combat. “Some would be disappointed — even offended — if they were excluded from those opportunities. It works, and it works well,” Radakin said.
During their short shore leave, the crew will be entertained by the Jeddah expat community, will tour the city and attend a reception at the British Consulate.
