Could this warship return to the Clyde for good?

HMS Ambuscade was built on the Clyde in 1975

A former Royal Navy warship which served in the Falklands War looks set to return to the Clyde.

HMS Ambuscade was built at Yarrow shipyard in Glasgow in 1975 and was part of the Royal Navy's fleet until 1993 when it was sold to the Pakistan Navy.

In 2005, by which time it had been renamed PNS Tariq, it was used to rescue 377 tourists in the Maldives during the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Now a Glaswegian businessman has signed a deal with the Pakistan Navy to bring the ship back to Scotland, where it could become a floating museum.

David O'Neill hopes it can be permanently berthed at Greenock and he is in talks with Inverclyde Council about his plans.

David O'Neill signed the final transfer paperwork at the Pakistan High Commission in London at the end of 2023

He wants the ship to become a museum which would pay tribute to the Clyde shipbuilding industry, as well as giving the Pakistani community a cultural landmark in Scotland.

Mr O'Neill, who runs Falls of Clyde International (FOCI), told BBC Scotland News he secured the ship for free after making a cheeky request to the Pakistan Navy.

"I thought I would just be typical Glaswegian, tongue in cheek, and say: 'Listen mate, we'd love that ship but by the way, we've no money,'" he said.

"That's exactly what I said to him.

"I wasn't very optimistic, I really wasn't. Then in December 2021, just before Christmas, Commodore Jamal Alam contacted me and said: 'I've got some very good news, our government said yes.'"

HMS Ambuscade had all distinguishing marks removed during the Falklands War

The UK High Commissioner of Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Faisal, said he was delighted that the Pakistan Navy signed the agreement on 25 September 2023.

"Donation of this ship to FOCI will continue to symbolise the shared maritime heritage of the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy," he said.

"After its arrival at Glasgow, it will be seen as a tribute to the long-standing shared heritage of both navies.

"The ship will also serve as a remembrance for Pakistani diaspora and veterans of PNS Tariq/HMS Ambuscade.”

Mr O'Neill is now making plans to transport the ship from its berth in Karachi, Pakistan to Glasgow.

"The company we're looking towards are going to supply a semi-submersible lift ship," he explained

"That's a vessel that sinks down in the water, a door at the end is opened up, our ship is brought inside, the door is closed and the water pumped out.

"Then the ship rises again. That's the safest way to get the ship home."

HMS Ambuscade had her final white ensign removed in July 1993 in an official handover service to the Pakistan Naval Service

Before leaving Karachi, the local community will be given a final opportunity to say farewell to the ship at a formal reception.

Tributes are also planned along its route as it returns to Scotland.

Mr O'Neill, who has a background in radio communications and other heritage projects, has grand plans to welcome the ship back to the Clyde.

He said: "We're still engaging with the Royal Navy and the Pakistan Navy to see whether they would consider sending a warship to escort her back up the Clyde.

"But equally, we have been reaching out to any boat and yacht clubs and we're going to be appealing for a flotilla to welcome her back to the Clyde where she was built."

Plans show the proposed location of HMS Ambuscade/PNS Tariq on the river Clyde in Greenock, next to the Beacon Arts Centre

Once it has safely returned to the Clyde, the future of the ship and its long term sustainability is "the biggest part" of what Mr O'Neill is looking to achieve.

He hopes to berth the ship next to the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock.

"We came up with this idea that if we could get this ship back to the UK we could make it not only a Royal Navy exhibit but also a joint cultural exhibit for the first time," he added.

"The Pakistani community across Europe will be able to come to Scotland and stand on a piece of Pakistan and feel at home.

"It will give a centre of focus for Pakistani arts, music, food, business that can all have access to the site and be as proud of it as we are of the HMS Ambuscade days."

Inverclyde Council described plans for the ship as an "exciting idea"

The ship served with the Royal Navy until the 1990s

A spokesperson for Inverclyde Council described Mr O'Neill's plans as an "exciting idea" and confirmed they had met him to find out more.

“Clearly with a proposed project of this magnitude there are lots of matters that need addressed, including engagement with stakeholders such as the port authority and the planning service, and there needs to be a full business case and financial plan in place," they added.

“However, we have agreed to meet with Mr O’Neill in the new year to find out about the progress being made by his group and to see if there is anything else we can do to support.”

It's not the first time Mr O'Neill has tried to bring a Clyde-built ship back to Scotland.

In 2021 he founded FOCI in a bid to save a tall ship from being scuttled (deliberately sunk) in Hawaii.

The ship - Falls of Clyde - had been built in Port Glasgow but legal complications and the pandemic put his plans on hold.