NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2010


End of one dream command and the beginning of another


WAVING heartily from the fl ig


nation’s fl agship on a gloomy late summer’s day in Portsmouth Harbour, the ship’s company of HMS Ark Royal bid farewell to the man who’s guided the legendary carrier for the past two years.


out t)


or s ht deck of the


● Surg Lt Tom Stevenson catches his breath after a work-out while (below) Lt Becca Burrell powers through gecko press-ups


Capt John Clink (you can just make out him raising his cap in acknowledgment) was given a rousing send-off by sailors as he departed Ark in a WW2-vintage motor gunboat, MGB 81, which is a working museum vessel in Portsmouth. His two-year tenure of the carrier saw her visit the United States twice (most recently leading the Auriga deployment), take part in a Canadian Fleet Review, operate every type of helicopter in Britain’s arsenal (that’s Fleet Air Arm, RAF and Army Air Corps) and undergo a mini-refit allowing Ark to operate Harriers again (RN, RAF and US Marine Corps) after a lengthy hiatus. “It is every warfare offi cer’s dream to command HMS Ark Royal,” said Capt Clink. “I have had tremendous pleasure in doing so and take with me fond memories of my sea time.”


Before leaving in the veteran gunboat, Capt Clink formally handed over the flagship to his successor Capt Jerry Kyd, who gathered his new ship’s company in the hangar. It’s his third spell serving in Ark. He was with her for her first commission back in 1986 and returned in 2001-03 as her navigator, before taking charge of HMS Monmouth for two years. There’s no slackening of the pace on the flagship for Ark’s new Commanding Officer.


th O


Roy


USA deployment during the summer, Ark Royal is currently leading RN input in the latest round of Joint Warrior exercises off the north-west coast of Scotland. Thereafter the ship’s 25th birthday commemorations reach their climax, including a Silver Jubilee cocktail party on board next month.


US


The carrier will remain as the nation’s fl agship until her older sister HMS Illustrious emerges from refi t in Rosyth next year. Picture: LA(Phot) Abbie Gadd, HMS Ark Royal


After a spell of maintenance after the


9


Pictures: LA(Phot) Jenny Lodge out some pain...


The more energetic matelots took on Dubai Vets FC (vets for veterans rather than animal doctors...) at the Dubai 7s Stadium (which hosts the world- famous rugby tournament). The match was played in the


unforgiving Dubai heat – which clearly affected Somerset’s game plan.


home side a challenging and hard- fought game, the Vets secured a 3-1 victory. Undeterred, the sailors were up for a rematch seven days later. Oh dear. The Vets FC sent out a number of fresh players, including a pair of Scottish U21s, and promptly subjected the sailors


to a 7-0 Despite giving the experienced


drubbing. Mind you, that’s not the biggest hammering Somerset’s suffered. Oh no.


tasking that she may be asked to fulfi ll.”


were put to the sword 9-1 by the Expatriates in Doha during a visit to Qatar as the team struggled to acclimatise during its fi rst run out.


a resounding success,” visit to Dubai


Commanding Offi cer Cdr Andrew Burns.


was said


A month before the footballers


Which is precisely what she’s doing now under the banner of CTFs 152 and Iraqi Maritime. The frigate is now half-way through her Gulf deployment. She has provided defence of


So things are improving evidently... “The


“The ship’s company are refreshed and ready for the next phase of the deployment and Somerset herself is in excellent material state, ready for any


the Al Basrah Oil Terminal, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1790, protecting the Iraq economy’s key source of income.


In so doing Somerset’s conducted more than 170 ‘Approach and Assurance Visits’ of dhows and merchant ships in the northern Gulf to reassure the seafaring community and ensure the safety of commercial maritime activities.


orces work together


before joining USS Gladiator to observe the American way of mine warfare.


“I think it was very important for Admiral Fox to see the coalition working together towards a common aim, to try to improve our mine countermeasures capa- bility,” said Cdr Bence. “He was also able to


e r


o


compare and contrast how the UK does its business


US does its business – and he will be able to better make


with how the


an opinion on whether the US needs to invest in mine coun- termeasures in the near to immediate future.”


fe a it


each vessel is expected to op- erate from Bahrain for between two and three years.


Although the kit and ships are dif- ferent, both navies use crew rotation to maintain a constant mine countermeas- ures presence in the Gulf – in the Roy- al Navy’s case, sailors spend on average of six months aboard the ships while


n


leads the Bilat 10 task group comprising USS Gladiator. USS Scout, HMS Middleton, HMS Cattistock. RFA Lyme Bay (she’s the big grey slab in the middle of the picture...), HMS Chiddingfold, USS Ardent and USS Dextrous


● l


s


Picture: MC1(AW) Cassandra Thompson, US Navy


HMS Pembroke


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48