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2 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010
HMS Bulwark
RFA Largs Bay
HMS Dasher
HMS Pursuer
HMS Enterprise Vikings/845 NAS/846 NAS/
857 NAS/FDG/MASU
HMS Sabre/Scimitar
HMS Chatham
IMAT
HMS Lancaster
HMS Monmouth
HMS Atherstone
HMS Chiddingfold
HMS Pembroke
HMS Grimsby
RFA Bayleaf
RFA Lyme Bay
RFA Cardigan Bay
FASLANE
ROSYTH
HMS Gannet
800/801 NAS
HMS York
HMS Clyde
YEOVIL
TON RFA Gold Rover
DEVONPORT
Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
PORTSMOUTH
CULDROSE
771 NAS
Fleet Fleet FocusFocus
Bay goes to aid of Haiti
THE decision was taken, as The report of the Operational
SO JANUARY has passed, leaving in its wake a Britain
Navy News went to press,
Liaison Team will also determine
brought low by the snow and a Caribbean island
to send RFA Largs Bay to
whether the Bay-class will head to
devastated by earthquakes.
help with the aid effort in
the Caribbean with a helicopter
So first let’s turn to RFA Largs Bay which is responding to earthquake-stricken Haiti.
on board.
In addition, there are two Naval
the global emergency call to bring aid to the people of Haiti At the request of the United
personnel on board the American
(see right). Nations, the RFA ship will be
assault ship USS Gunston Hall,
People sailing through the dangers of ‘Pirate Alley’ are under bearing relief supplies provided by
which anchored off Haiti on
the watchful eye of HMS Chatham. The Type 22 has taken up the Department for International
January 18.
the anti-piracy station in the Gulf of Aden, heading the NATO Development (DfiD), British
Gunston Hall is part of a US
task group that is protecting seafarers in this troubled zone and international NGOs and
Naval commitment of 11 ships, 42
(see page 3). goods bought from the Disasters
aircraft and almost 9,000 sailors
In the Gulf region it is frigates HMS Monmouth and Emergency Committee appeal.
to their Caribbean neighbour,
Lancaster who are keeping an eye out for trouble, aided by Once stored up with the
with more ships and troops on
the minehunters and RFA Cardigan Bay (see pages 14-15). requisite supplies, the RFA ship
the way.
Another warship who has arrived at her new post is destroyer is due to set out from Marchwood
As it is outside of hurricane
HMS York – on her long journey southwards she met up with to reach Haiti some three weeks
season, there is no Naval ship
her predecessor HMS Gloucester at the islands of Cape
after the DfiD call to action on
currently in the area to offer
Verde off West Africa.
January 19.
support to the Caribbean island.
The two shared a replenishment at sea with escort ship RFA
The intention is to keep Largs
Defence secretary Bob
Gold Rover, before the auxiliary ship escorted her new charge
Bay in the region for a number of
Ainsworth said: “Now that the
back to their South Atlantic patch (pages 4 and 5).
weeks to allow the UN to carry
main part of the search and rescue
Of course, those South Atlantic waters are the enduring
supplies to the small outlying
phase is ending, the world’s focus
home of River-class HMS Clyde, whose work around the
ports in Haiti – a role for which
must turn to helping those people
Falkland Islands is featured on pages 20-21.
the auxiliary landing ship with its
who have survived but have been
● Auxiliary landing ship RFA Largs Bay, seen here with a temporary
And while Gloucester’s sailors will have been glad to
embarked 17 Port and Maritime
left with nothing.
hangar on her deck
reach home before the Christmas season (page 4), they might
RLC boat crew and mexeflote raft “The Royal Navy will play a
perhaps have been surprised that they had not left the chill
trying to save lives, but we must ready to help.”
is ideally suited. vital role in meeting their needs.”
winds behind.
also plan for the future. He added: “I am proud that the
A British Operational Liaison Douglas Alexander, the
The men and women of the Search and Rescue units of HMS
“Hundreds of thousands of RN has been able to mobilise so
Team has headed out to the island International Development
Gannet and 771 Naval Air Squadron have been kept busy
people, many of them desperately quickly to ferry vital supplies to the
of Hispaniola to join with the Secretary, said: “This ship will
tending to the casualties of the British onslaught of snow and
poor to begin with, have been left scene of one of the worst natural
forces already out there and to provide a lifeline of essential
ice and bringing them to safety (page 22).
with nothing. disasters in living memory.
send back an informed report of supplies to keep Haiti running.
And it is safety that is at the forefront of the work of the
“It will take many months for “Their role will be appreciated
how the British military can best “The focus until now has rightly
Navy’s Compulsory Drug Testing team – any weakness in
them to rebuild their lives, and the not just by me but by the suffering
contribute.
one person can bring a whole unit down.
been on the immediate task of international community stands people of Haiti.”
And the CDT team run a hectic – and unpredictable –
programme of testing to guarantee dependability rather than
dependency.
Their work on board HMS Cornwall during her recent visit
Future carriers move closer
to Malta is highlighted in our centre pages this month (see
THE BULK of the equipment the carrier programme is now well
pages 23-25). And we’re pleased to say Cornwall’s crew came
orders for the Navy’s future carriers under way.
through with flying colours.
have been placed and ministers “The first units have already
The carriers have been busy in recent weeks – HMS Ark
have stressed their commitment to been delivered to Rosyth where
Royal has notched up a successful basic operational sea
the Navy’s largest ships. these ships – the cornerstone of
training and is stepping back into the lead role as Fleet Flagship
The £333 million worth the Royal Navy of the future – will
(see page 6).
of contracts placed in January be assembled.”
Her sister ship Illustrious hasn’t let the grass grow either,
brings the total orders by the The latest round of orders
and has been putting her people through their paces – and
Aircraft Carrier Alliance to almost feature:
through tunnels, over wires and under nets – at the Collingwood
£1.1 billion for the Navy’s two ■ Imtech Marine and Offshore
assault course (page 10).
Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. Ltd for heating, ventilation and
And helicopter carrier HMS Ocean lit up the Channel with a
Quentin Davies, the minister for air-conditioning;
night shoot on page 7.
Defence Equipment and Support, ■ Ship Support Services Ltd
As the year moves inexorably onwards, the impending
pledged support to the Navy’s for paint and scaffolding for the
Strategic Defence Review looms larger. The First Sea Lord
new ships. build;
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope set out his vision for defence
He said: “This news should ■ Henry Abrams for transport
priorities in January – read the full script on page 19.
reassure those who doubt this of sections of the carriers from
And the enduring demands of the conflict in Afghanistan has
Government’s commitment to the shipyards to Rosyth for final
sounded the death knell for two of Her Majesty’s ships. It also
programme. assembly;
means another shake-up for naval Harrier air and ground crews
“These sub-contracts will ■ Tyco for fixed fire-fighting
and that the curtain will fall on the (admittedly long) career
contribute thousands of jobs systems;
of the Fleet Air Arm’s workhorse, the Sea King, earlier than
throughout the supply chain in ■ AEI Cables for the majority
planned (see page 9).
addition to the thousands of jobs of the 2,500km of cabling.
But defence ministers have repeated their commitment to
at the main shipyards which are The first of the 65,000-tonne
the Navy’s carrier future (see right). ● Computer-generated image of the Navy’s future Queen Elizabeth-
building the ships.” carriers is due to enter service in
class carrier
He added: “The build phase of 2016.
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