"Duchess" was recommissioned on 2 January 1963. Originally intended to be deployed with the Mediterranean Fleet, the December 1962 Brunei Revolt and tensions in South East Asia that would shortly escalate into the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation prompted a strengthening of British assets in the region, including the assignment of "Duchess" to the Far East Fleet. The destroyer left Portsmouth on 8 April bound for Singapore, with visits en route to Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, and Aden. Arriving on 12 June, the ship spent the next few weeks on day exercises, before being docked in the King George VI Graving Dock for three weeks of maintenance. Tactical exercises took up late July and early August, after which, "Duchess" was deployed to patrol off North Borneo and Sarawak. A visit to Hong Kong occurred in early September, followed by guardship duties off Sandakan. Further patrols of North Borneo occurred in October, and on 7 November, the destroyer was called to assist the British merchantman "Woodburn", which had run aground off Singapore's Horsburgh Lighthouse. Exercises continued until 23 December, when "Duchess" arrived at Singapore for maintenance and leave. She resumed operations on 10 February 1964, transporting a contingent of Gurkhas to the Sarawak River, then visited Hong Kong.