NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2011


3


847 ready to make their Mark (9)


THE Jungly Lynx force are back in Afghanistan – this time with a new aircraft. Since 847 Naval Air Squadron last deployed to Helmand in the winter of 2008-09, it has swapped the Lynx Mk7 for the Mk9 – better suited to the challenging Helmand environment. It’s got souped-up engines which can cope with ‘hot and high’ – allowing the Lynx force to fly throughout the Afghan summer.


In addition, the new Lynx has been equipped with a larger and more powerful 0.50 calibre machine gun for the door gunner. As for the mission facing the 50 or so personnel deploying from RNAS Yeovilton, well that’s pretty much as it was during the previous tour of duty in Helmand.


The main task is to ride shotgun for other Allied helicopters in theatre as they re- supply Forward Operating Bases. The 847 aircrew are also likely to be called upon to conduct reconnaissance, convoy escort, airborne command and control, and fi re support with artillery and fast jets.


All of which, of course, requires round-the-clock attention from engineers, technicians and support staff.


The squadron has undergone six months of training with the new Lynx to prepare them for this latest tour of duty, learning how to operate and maintain the Mk9.


Maj Dave Sutton RM of 847 B Flight said that although some of the personnel deploying were Afghan novices, others had “vast experience of operational deployments” and some had spent time on the ground in Afghanistan serving with Commando units. “We have trained extremely hard for all eventualities and we are confi dent that we will provide both Coalition and Afghan allies with all that is required of us,” he added.


Already in theatre are


substantial elements of the rest of the front-line Commando Helicopter Force, the Jungly Sea Kings of 845 and 846 NAS, also based at Yeovilton.


Last chance for freedom


THE men and women of HMS Ark Royal will enjoy freedom for the fi nal time on February 12. The ship’s company of the


Navy’s former flagship head to Leeds for a farewell visit to the city which has supported three generations of Ark Royals, going back to World War 2. The latest bearer of the Ark


Royal name has already made her final entry to Portsmouth. Her sailors have paraded through the heart of that city as part of the Mighty Ark’s lengthy winding- down following October’s shock decision to axe the famous carrier under the Strategic Defence and Security Review.


REMEMBER, remember


the fi fth of November. Not for any of that Guy Fawkes malarkey, but for the day when HMS Dragon fi rst put to sea. After one month’s trials off Western Scotland,


allowing


Dragon to clear her throat (literally in the case of her main gun), the ship has resumed fi tting out and tests on the Clyde at Scotstoun with the engineers and ship’s company more than pleased with her performance. Indeed,


the ship surpassed


the 29kts top speed expected of her when the class was ordered a decade ago. She


‘throttled up’ to reach 32 knots (37 mph) – although it doesn’t make Dragon the fastest destroyer as veteran HMS York can manage nearly 35kts. After reaching full whack,


the Type 45 then applied the ‘handbrake’ and came to a stop in a little over 800 yards – less than half a mile. After that it was time for the


45’s party piece, heeling over 12˚ to carve a fi gure of eight in the relatively sheltered waters of the Firth of Clyde.


Thanks to the trail blazed by her three older sisters, Dragon put to sea with far fewer technical issues, improved software, tweaked machinery – and with her mixed RN/BAE ship’s company aware of what the 45s can and cannot do. The fi rst fortnight at sea was used to test the basics – engines, rudder, comms, ‘hotel services’ (galley, fresh water production, sewage treatment) – before moving away from the relatively sheltered waters off Arran and Kintyre to fl ash up her weapons systems. For that she had to make for the ranges off Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, never the warmest place in the British Isles, and positively (or should that be negatively...) Siberian when Dragon arrived. Time to warm things up with


A 160-strong contingent is heading up the M1 for a series of farewell events over the weekend of February 11-13. The sailors will meet numerous


affiliates during their time in Leeds, including civic and business leaders, the Royal Armouries, local Sea Cadets and Leeds-based members of the Royal Naval Reserves. The highlight of the weekend will be a ‘goodbye parade’ through Leeds city centre at 11am on the 12th when the Ark crew exercise their Freedom of the City.


Marines Scotland will lead the parade, including an armed guard, Naval Colours and the ship’s freedom scroll, from Leeds City Museum through the centre to the town hall, where the lord mayor will take the salute.


The Band of HM Royal


some fi re – the main 4.5in gun (pictured above, if you were wondering...) followed by the 30mm cannons and fi nally the machine- guns.


radar was also fl ashed up off the Benbecula range; it was here that Dauntless fi red the Sea Viper missile for the fi rst time a couple of months earlier – and the ops room team found themselves tracking aircraft at ranges in excess of 200 miles, namely planes approaching Aberdeen, Glasgow and Belfast airports.


And the electro-optic sights and laser range fi nders were tested to assess Dragon’s ability to engage targets at close range. “I’ve been associated with the


Dragon’s Sampson


for now, although it won’t be long (April) before D35 is back at sea. Between now and then


fo


it didn’t stop Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox joining Dragon to witness progress with the Type 45 programme, cross- decking from ballistic missile submarine HMS Vanguard as the latter returned from a deterrent patrol. And that’s just about it


it Se joi


and fi nal work on the ship go according to plan, Dragon will be handed over to the RN in September, by which time the fi fth ship in the programme, Defender, should be ready for trials. The sixth and fi nal Type 45, HMS Duncan, is in the early stages of fi tting out following her launch in October. She’s not due to put to sea until 2012.


there’s a lot of work to be carried out on her combat systems. If the second spell of sea trials


Roar of the Dragon


To coldly go where no 45 has been


WHILE HMS Dragon has been throwing herself around in the waters of western Scotland her older sister Dauntless headed even further north. The second Type 45 destroyer is in Norwegian waters, first Bergen, then Tromsø (200 miles inside the Arctic Circle) to conduct cold weather trials (the lucky so-and-sos in HMS Daring got the plum job of warm weather trials...). As well as testing the


destroyer’s ability to cope with the cold (according to the Type 45’s specs the air conditioning should sustain temperatures at a very pleasant 25˚C) the exercises around Norway should serve as a warm up (sorry) for Operational Sea Training...


...which should be kicking in off Plymouth in a matter of days. Lessons learned during


Daring’s OST experience last spring have been passed on both to D33 and the FOSTies putting Dauntless through her paces. Once through OST the


destroyer’s thrown straight into a Joint Warrior exercise (the twice- yearly international war games run from Faslane) – the first 45 to take part.


Thereafter there’s a visit to Newcastle, Dauntless’ affiliated city and, post Easter leave, the ship will work up with a US carrier battlegroup (like Daring before her) for what the RN calls ‘Tier 2’ training – basically ‘super OST’, testing a ship’s ability to fight as part of a task group. The ship’s lined up to visit the DSEi defence exhibition in London’s Docklands in September, a spot more training and a bit of maintenance, then a fi rst deployment in early 2012.


development of various parts of the Type 45’s combat system for the past 15 years – it’s very rewarding to see it coming to life onboard Dragon before my eyes,” said Cdr Peter Frankham, the ship’s weapon engineer offi cer. There was also time to begin engendering Dragon’s soul with some sport – volleyball, table tennis (!), bucket ball (basketball with a bucket, not a basket) and non- stop cricket in the ‘Millennium Stadium’ (aka hangar) – regular circuit training and a one-kilometre sponsored row. The latter was the healthy side of fundraising for the Erskine House charity which provides care for veterans; the less healthy side came courtesy of sales from Drago’s Snacks, the destroyer’s tuck shop.


chocolate was munched because in all £1,800 was raised for the charity during Dragon’s four-week stint at sea. The adverse winter weather


(you might have seen a bit about it in the media...) put the kibosh on a day at sea for VIPs, but


Flagship shipshape


BRITAIN’S fl agship, HMS Albion, is in the throes of some top-up training to prepare her for the key deployment of 2011. The assault ship is lined up to lead the Cougar task group – an amphibious task force which will exercise in the Mediterranean and east of Suez with Allied nations. Albion’s fairly-well worked-up already, having taken part in the


Auriga deployment to the USA last year, which culminated in major amphibious landings along the Eastern Seaboard. Amphibious skills can quickly fade, however, so there’s a month-long Directed Continuous Training – basically a mini-OST organised by the Flag Officer Sea Training.


Marines of 6 Assault Squadron, Albion’s permanent commando unit, to land and recover troops, but also deal with fire, flood, disaster relief and any other trials and tribulations the FOST staff can dream up. And while all this is going on, the flagship is hosting 40 officer cadets from Dartmouth who are enjoying their first sustained period at sea aboard a British warship. They’re joining Albion for ten weeks to work alongside the ship’s company before returning to BRNC to complete their officer training.


The FOSTies will test not only the ability of the sailors and Royal And evidently quite a lot of


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