HMS Ocean, HMS Marlborough & HMS Sandown Modern Royal Navy Painting Art Print by Marine Artist Robert G. Lloyd

In a rare example of naval art, Robert Lloyd shows a combined operations exercise with the warships HMS Ocean and HMS Marlborough as the main subjects.

The Amphibious Assault Carrier HMS Ocean was built to a design similar to that of the earlier Invincible class carriers but has no capability for fixed-wing aircraft.  Commissioned in 1998, the ship has seen service in a number of conflicts, most notably off Sierra Leone and Operation Ellamy, the military intervention in Libya. As seen in this painting, Ocean is capable of embarking helicopters of various types and a compliment of Royal Marines.

Commissioned in 1991, the Type 23 'Duke' Class frigate HMS Marlborough came to prominence when she was the first ship on the scene after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. She would also have an important role in the second Gulf War before it was announced in 2004 that she would be decommissioned. In 2006 she was sold, along with two other Type 23 to the Chilean Navy.

The smaller ship on the left is the minesweeper HMS Sandown, lead-ship of a class of 12. Built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the eldest of the class are now decommissioned with HMS Sandown now serving with the Estonian Navy.