A Newton Aycliffe sailor has taken part in a prestigious ceremony marking an important day in the life of his warship.
Naval Airman (Aircraft Controller) Marc Sanham, serving on board HMS Duncan, was among the 190 crew involved in the ship’s commissioning ceremony.
The event in Portsmouth marked the new ship’s transition into front-line service and was attended by hundreds of guests, mainly family and friends of the crew.
NA (AC) Sanham, 21, is a former pupil at Greenfield School and serves on board as an aircraft controller which involves communicating with helicopters flying to and from the ship. He said: “Taking part in the commissioning ceremony was one of the proudest moments in my Navy career. HMS Duncan is a great ship.”
Duncan is the last of the Royal Navy’s six new-generation Type 45 destroyers. They specialise in air defence and can defend the ship and escort vessels from hostile incoming aircraft and missiles approaching at subsonic and supersonic speed.
HMS Duncan will spend the next 12 months completing an intensive period of trials, mainly in UK waters, before she is ready to deploy on operations supporting British interests across the globe.
