Sarah West, 39, from Lincolnshire, a county in the east of England, has become the first woman appointed by the Royal Navy to command a frigate, blowing another taboo surrounding the service of women in the armed forces out of the water.

West will take up her post on the HMS Portland, a type 23 frigate, in April, at which time she will make a statement about her appointment, a spokesman for Britain’s Ministry of Defense told Reuters.

West will be taking over the role of Commander on the warship from Mike Knott.

Her previous naval experience includes serving in the Gulf on the Middle East operations team, during which time she also achieved an honors degree in law.

Women have served on surface ships in the Royal Navy since 1991 and represent about 10 percent of the force.

However, they remain barred from serving in the Royal Marines, the Submarine Service, the Household Cavalry and the Royal Armoured Corps.