6 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010
● The bridge of HMS Ark Royal fi lls with smoke
as the carrier takes a hit during Thursday War
The BOST of times
ARK ROYAL is fighting fit as it should before she submitted attempted while a ship is alongside,
approached the sixth and final assessment week.
And, as a special boost to
and ready to resume her place
herself for a six-week stint with not moored to a buoy in Plymouth
week of sea training, which held Ark took a major hit on Tuesday,
morale, Chelsea buns all round...
in the van of the Fleet.
those nice people at Flag Officer Sound.
the promise of three major leaving many sailors as casualties
A final show of defiance from
By the time you read this, the
Sea Training. But the sailors of the carrier’s
exercises, two of them with and their colleagues fighting
Ark’s mortal foe was thwarted just
warship will have taken over the
Her BOST – basic operational marine engineering department just
the entire ship’s company to save the carrier, including
in time for FOST himself, Rear
role of Fleet Flagship and UK
sea training – was made all the got on with the job, disconnecting
at Action Stations. a sterling effort from the
Admiral Chris Snow, to declare
high-readiness carrier, following
more interesting by the need to all the hoses, pipes and wires from
Week Five saw the senior rates who directed
that the Ark had passed BOST –
her seven-month refit last year.
replace one of her four mighty gas the Olympus before using rails
ship assessed on a the fire-fighting.
and there was special mention for
The end of 2009 saw the Ark
turbine engines, which went on and winches to move the engine
replenishment at Wednesday’s treat
two sailors who had managed the
undergo a programme of trials
the blink in late November. through the hangar on a trolley
sea with RFA Fort was a chemical
fastest barrel change on a 20mm
to ensure everything is working
Most engine changes are and up the airlift.
George followed by an exercise – the ship had
gun that he had ever seen.
With the old engine on its way
emergency breakaway to ‘prove the citadel’
The coming weeks will see Ark
to Rolls-Royce for refurbishment
on Monday, battle by closing all hatches,
take on ammunition, visit Newcastle
and the rest of the ship involved in
damage repair vents and valves to test
and embark her Harriers.
a disaster relief exercise, the new
exercises on Tuesday, the gas-tight boundary.
After Easter, having completed
engine was manhandled down
Thursday War on, er, And so to more
Joint Warrior off Scotland, the
into the bowels of the ship and
Thursday, and a ship’s Thursday conflict, with the
carrier will sail for the East Coast
fitted – job done in just 24 hours.
protection exercise on Friday. Ark patrolling an exclusion zone
of the US for a major multinational
As BOST continued the carrier
Thursday War brought the usual around an imaginary friendly ally.
exercise, as well as visiting Halifax
welcomed back the Flying Tigers
mix of fire, floods and damage, Two missile hits made for a
in Canada for the Canadian Navy’s
of 814 Squadron to help prove the
but the FOSTies seemed quite lively morning, but a lull allowed
centenary celebrations.
carrier’s capability (see p12).
content with what they saw. for Action Messing – speed eating
Follow the progress of Ark Royal
The tempo rose markedly
The weekend brought a brief while exchanging updates on the
on her very own Twitter page:
for all on board the Ark as they
respite, then it was headlong into war.
www.twitter.com/HMSArkRoyal
Green medical centre for green berets
A GREEN design for green berets Royal Navy, was completed by dental laboratory. layout of the new medical centre,
– Royal Marines in Somerset have Debut Services Ltd under the Energy-efficient features of the the unit’s Principal Medical Officer,
a new medical centre which was Defence Estates regional prime centre include ground source heat Surg Lt Iain Wood, said: “It’s clean
delivered early and within budget. contract for the South West, and pumps for a free and continuous and hygienic; befitting a commando
The £3.5 million centre, which was completed six months ahead source of heating, superior thermal unit in the 21st century.”
incorporates many green and low- of schedule. insulation to retain heat, solar Civilian Medical Officer, Dr
carbon measures, stands in Norton A large proportion of the team panels (the building is orientated Michael Staunton said that the
Manor Camp near Taunton, home manning the new medical centre to bring maximum benefit from opening represented “a significant
of 40 Commando. are Navy – within the team there the sunlight) and natural light step in meeting the needs of a
It represents a significant are two doctors, 14 medical and sources where possible. modern military fighting force.”
milestone in overhauling medical nursing staff, a physiotherapist, a The Director of the Royal Navy And Dental Officer Surg
provision for the commandos, as dentist and a dental hygienist. Medical Services, Surg Cdre Noel Lt Cdr Thomas Pepper added:
it brings the medical and dental
Among the services provided Bevan, who opened the facility, “The centre has been designed
teams into one purpose-built,
will be a medical casualty bay, said: “This is a first-class facility in collaboration with a dentist,
convenient centre from various
treatment rooms, consulting rooms, which makes a vital enhancement which means that it has been
● Ark Royal’s First Lieutenant, Lt Cdr Mick Malone (foreground)
and Buffer PO(Sea) Daz Bland during a choppy RAS with RFA Fort
makeshift facilities which were
a dispensary and a rehabilitation to the medical and dental services designed with the patients’ needs
George
scattered around the camp.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Gregg Macready
suite on the ground floor for for the Royal Marines. in mind, thereby enabling form
The project, funded by the
the treatment and subsequent “It also adds to the already high and function to work together to
rehabilitation of commandos. level of support we provide to those benefit the patient and enhance
On the first floor there is a twin, who sustain injury on operations.” the service we can provide
fully-equipped dental surgery and When discussing the design and them.”
● Two patients in the dental waiting room within the new medical centre (which is clearly stocked with
top-quality reading material – Ed) Picture: LA(Phot) Si Ethell
01273 467277
www.pooleysword.com
SWORD MAKERS TO THE ROYAL MARINES
006_NN_feb.indd 1 21/1/10 14:34:23
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