Portsmouth harbour will see maritime traffic restrictions during a Royal Navy gun salute trial on June 12, with an exclusion zone established for safety purposes at HMNB Portsmouth.
The firing exercise is scheduled between midday and 12.15pm at the southern end of the South Railway Jetty, where nine rounds will be discharged. Portsmouth’s King’s Harbour Master (KHM) will enforce marine traffic restrictions under the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth Order 2005.
“To ensure safety during the firing, as allowed in the provisions of the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth Order 2005, KHM will impose an exclusion zone for all marine traffic,” officials stated.
Vessel movements to and from the Naval Base and Portsmouth International Port will be halted or speed-controlled to maintain a clear exclusion zone. Ministry of Defence Police boats will patrol to keep smaller vessels away from the restricted area.
The KHM will broadcast security announcements at 11.50am to activate the exclusion zone, with another alert issued upon completion. Maritime operators are advised to stay clear during the specified timeframe.
Due to the extended firing programme, there will be brief pauses to permit vessel transit as directed by harbour authorities. During these intervals, ships must quickly vacate the restricted zone to allow the exercise to resume.
The drill serves as preparation for HMS Queen Elizabeth’s ceremonial gun salute on June 14, commemorating King Charles III’s official birthday. A similar patriotic ceremony occurred on May 6 to mark the anniversary of His Majesty’s coronation, with Royal Navy personnel conducting the firing from the aircraft carrier’s flight deck.
King Charles III was crowned on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in the first British coronation ceremony in seven decades, following Queen Elizabeth II’s death on September 8, 2022, aged 96.
