The Royal Navy has appointed Lt Cdr Sarah West the command of HMS Portland, a Type 23 Duke Class Frigate launched in 1999. When she takes command on April 2012, she will be the first woman to command a Royal Navy warship. West previously served in the Gulf and was commander of HMS Ramsey, a minesweeper.
Royal Navy appoints first female warship commander
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said Lt Cdr West would complete a commanding officer designate course before taking up the position.
Women have been able to serve in the Royal Navy since 1994 and now make up just under 10% of the force. They remain barred from some areas of service, such as the Royal Marine Commandos. Lt Cdr West’s previous naval experience has included serving in the Gulf.
She grew up in Lincolnshire and studied maths at the University of Hertfordshire before joining Britannia Royal Naval College in 1995.
Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing the news along.
Is this right? If LCDR West commanded a minesweeper already, she can’t possibly be the first woman to command a Royal Navy warship — am I missing something? Is HMS Ramsey some kind of shore command? I know the RN sometimes “commissions” a shore station. But describing her last/current command as a minesweeper suggests it is indeed a warship.
HMS Ramsey is a minesweeper and clearly a “warship” thus the headline, I believe referred to that first Command. It is to be hoped that LT.CMDR Sarah West will be promoted to Commander as this is the Command Rank for the C/O of a frigate. The Rank of ‘Commander’ is known as ‘Frigate-Captain’ in many European and World Navies
Good Watch.
Here is where my complete ignorance of gray stack ships becomes obvious.
It is unclear to me whether a minesweeper might be considered a support ship rather than a “warship.” I will defer to those who are better informed than I.
The Wiki entry on HMS Portland reads “She is to be the first major warship in the Royal Navy to be commanded by a woman; Lt Cdr Sarah West will assume command of HMS Portland in April 2012 as Commander Sarah West.”
Perhaps I should have written that she was woman to command a frigate.
My British Merchant Navy Defence Course was completed in an RN minesweeper and believe me they are indeed warships. As the first line of defence in clearing a passage for the larger vessels particularly 60 years ago. We also learned gunnery and armed boarding tactics. So be in no doubt they are advance warships rather than support ships and an excellent first Command. NAUTICAL LOG wishs Commander Sarah West RN well in this advance to her first Major Command of HMS Portland.
Good Watch.