As "Orion" and "Otama" were fitted with specialist intelligence gathering equipment, they were regularly deployed on surveillance and spying operations, earning them the nickname "Mystery Boats". Activities were part of the broader Western nations' intelligence-gathering apparatus, and included surveillance off the coasts of China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, tailing of Soviet Pacific Fleet units during operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and observation off the Soviet base at Vladivostok. These activities continued until the end of the Cold War in 1992, and most of "Orion"s activities and deployments during this period remain classified. The first captain of "Orion," Commander Rob Woolrych MBE, stated that "Orion" and "Otama" conducted sixteen intelligence-gathering missions during their service between March 1978 to December 1992. Each mission was under the command of the Chief of the Defence Force, authorised by the Minister for Defence and conducted with the knowledge of the Prime Minister. Regular patrols were conducted for six to eight weeks. On occasion, "Orion" and "Otama" would dock in British naval facilities in Singapore or Hong Kong for refuelling and maintenance.