HMS DIAMOND is actually an integral part of the British Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21), which, under the command of the aircraft carrier HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, is on a post-Brexit demonstration tour halfway around the globe to Japan and back with HMS DEFENDER, a second Type 45 destroyer, two Type 23 frigates, two supply ships and initially also an ASTUTE nuclear submarine. DIAMOND has already had unpleasant experiences in the Mediterranean, but is now back on its own keel and passed through the Suez Canal at the end of August to join the CSG21 in the Western Pacific. What was officially described as "maintenance, inspection and any necessary repairs" at an Italian naval base was a defect in the propulsion system, the time-consuming repair of which first required the provision of spare parts - and this after a recently completed long period in the shipyard under Covid conditions. These things happen - and not just to our GORCH FOCK! The British Defence Secretary's statement that only one of the six Type 45 destroyers is now available for deployment - the DEFENDER in the Indo-Pacific alongside the fleet flagship - is piquant. However, the fully vaccinated crew had already suffered an unexpectedly severe vaccination breakthrough in the eastern Mediterranean after a harbour stay, so that the unit had to be released from the formation and parts of the crew had to be disembarked and placed in Italian quarantine. Who would have thought that? But even a vector vaccination only has an infection protection factor of around 0.8, which means that a good 20% of the 200-strong crew could very well become infected with coronavirus under unfavourable conditions - albeit usually only slightly affected or even symptom-free. Since then, shore leave has been a thing of the past - even in the most interesting harbours!
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