NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2011


19


THE festive season is a time for


The good folk of RFA Diligence gave their comrades aboard HMS Cornwall the gifts of fuel and sustenance. And in return the Fighting 99 gave Diligence lots of sewage. Still, as they say, it’s the thought that


giving.


counts. Warships are used to replenishing at


sea from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, but Cornwall chose to ‘raft up’ for a day with Diligence in the Gulf – bringing the two ships side-by-side. The tricky evolution is made easier thanks to the repair ship’s series of thrusters, her pitch propeller and some hi- tech computer wizardry which choreograph all the propulsion. The system – known as DP, or dynamic positioning – allows Diligence to manoeuvre forwards, astern or sideways with extreme precision. She can also ‘hover’, holding a specifi c position to within an accuracy of 50cm (20in) in winds up to Force 5. It’s all controlled by a joystick on a movable control panel on the bridge – a long lead allows the person in charge to wander around the bridge, or on to the bridge wing. For the rafting, Diligence’s navigator was in charge, stopping the repair vessel parallel to the frigate after judging her drift rate. Then Diligence slipped sideways with large rubber fenders out, and as the two vessels touched, wires and lines were passed then tightened and the RFA and HMS were bound. And then it was time for the auxiliary to show off. For the next couple of miles, Diligence decided to ‘side tow’ Cornwall, before letting her DP system hold the duo in a hover.


at ut y


Diligence offered her extensive repair facilities to the Type 22 frigate, which is carrying out anti-piracy patrols east of Suez, as well as topping up Cornwall’s fuel tank and providing fresh water, while the warship offl oaded some sullage into the RFA’s slop tanks.


The Royal Marines took advantage of


Routine business


Diligence’s presence to carry out some boarding training, conducting searches of the ship and working with the repair ship’s RN force protection team, P Squadron. After all that exercise, a spot of tea was


in order. Suitably satiated, the ships parted company and resumed their separate duties.


d m e


the Type 22’s command facilities to co-ordinate the warships and aircraft monitoring activity in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. In Cornwall’s case, the mission


When not enjoying tea and stickies with Diligence, the Fighting 99 has been dividing her time between protecting merchantmen and sharing her expertise with Allied navies in the region. Cornwall is the command ship for Combined Task Force 151 – a conglomeration of 25 nations committed to stamping out illegal activities on the high seas – currently led by Pakistan’s Cdre Abdul Aleem. He and his staff are making use of o


of


personnel with the American destroyer USS Momsen.


At the same time, the F99’s boarding team have built up a much better understanding of local fishermen’s routines and ways of working by carrying out several ‘assurance visits’ – assuring the fishermen that the Allies are here to help. So far, Cornwall’s not come across any pirates... well, apart from those in her own mess decks.


The frigate staged a ‘pirate night’ on the flight deck complete with walking the plank, a selection of ‘smelly pirate hookers’ and a variety of piratical costumes ranging from the traditional to the more modern, complete with convincing RPGs. Christmas was spent at sea in the


at present is focused on the ‘Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor’, an invisible sea lane covering around 5,000 square miles of ocean in the Gulf of Aden which shipping is advised to use because it is here that Allied warships offer protection. “A routine quickly developed,” Cornwall’s Commanding Officer Cdr David Wilkinson explained. “The ship’s Lynx conducted daily surface


e f


search sorties to look for suspicious activity and some routine boarding operations, against the backdrop of an on-going internal training programme to maintain our levels of readiness and the gradual increase in understanding of the patterns of activity around the region.” To keep the rest of the ship’s company on their toes, there have been mock galley fires and helicopter crashes on deck to contend with, some 4.5in gunnery, lots of training for the boarding team including fast roping practice, and a chance to exchange


protective corridor (although the tradition of officers serving dinner on December 25 was, of course, upheld). At least New Year was spent alongside... although the Omani port of Salalah isn’t quite Dubai (as enjoyed by many RN warships in the region – see pages 4-5). Refreshed and re-stored,


wa a


p


Cornwall was back at sea three days into 2011... and straight into


counter-piracy boardings. On the first day out of Salalah Cornwall


c O


encountered a suspicious-looking dhow... so the boarding team was dispatched. It turned out to be a genuine fishing boat which was coming to the end of a month at sea.


“This was not a wasted boarding,” Cdr Wilkinson explained.


“Firstly it allowed us to gauge how positively our operations are viewed by locals, who are simply trying to earn a living from the sea.


“Also my team gained a very useful insight into the routines, equipment and way of life for a typical fi shing dhow in these waters – all of which is very benefi cial for our understanding of the area.”


With a night-time 20mm shoot complete and a top-up of fuel courtesy of the USNS Amelia Earhart, the Fighting 99 continues to prowl.


pictures: la(phot) dave jenkins, frpu east


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