HMS Tamar crew and Cambodian naval personnel gather during the Royal Navy vessel’s visit to Cambodia on August 20. (United Kingdom Mission to ASEAN)
On August 20, the Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Tamar arrived in Cambodia for its first visit to Ream Naval Base, marking a new step in defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and Cambodia. The visit is also the Royal Navy’s third to Cambodia since 2023, following two calls by HMS Spey at Sihanoukville.
The port call marks the first visit by a Royal Navy vessel to Ream Naval Base since its reopening in April 2025 and will provide the Royal Navy and Royal Cambodian Navy with an opportunity to strengthen maritime cooperation through professional exchanges and joint training.
During the deployment, Royal Navy and Royal Cambodian Navy personnel are due to conduct joint training in areas including medical response, casualty care, damage control and seamanship. The activities are intended to support professional development and improve familiarity between the two services.
British Ambassador to Cambodia Dominic Williams welcomed HMS Tamar’s arrival, describing the first port call at Ream as “a sign of our deepening naval relationship”. He added that the visit builds on previous HMS Spey calls to Sihanoukville and complements the training of two Cambodian naval cadets currently studying at the Britannia Royal Navy College in Dartmouth.
HMS Tamar Commanding Officer Commander Tom Lindsey said the visit was an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the Royal Cambodian Navy.
“Our visit to this beautiful country, the third such visit by the Royal Navy since 2023, is an important sign of our growing partnership as together we build cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia.” he said.
He added that the crew looked forward to working with Cambodian counterparts on medical and seamanship training, highlighting the practical focus of the deployment.
As part of the visit, Commanding Officer Lindsey and personnel of the British defence team are also scheduled to meet the Commander of Ream Naval Base, the Governor of Sihanoukville Province and representatives of Sihanoukville Autonomous Port. The engagements are expected to cover bilateral defence relations, regional maritime issues and potential areas for future cooperation.
The visit follows a broader expansion of military exchanges between the two countries, including Cambodian officer cadets studying at Sandhurst Military Academy and the Britannia Royal Navy College.
HMS Tamar’s visit provides the UK with an opportunity to deepen maritime defence engagement with Cambodia while building on established naval exchanges. For Cambodia, the deployment adds to its engagement with a wider range of defence partners and provides practical opportunities to develop naval capabilities and professional links. The continued emphasis on training and exchanges suggests that both sides are building the relationship through practical cooperation rather than formal alignment.
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