NAVY NEWS, JANUARY 2012
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HMS Illustrious 854 NAS/FDG/1710 NAS HMS Sabre/Scimitar HMS Astute
HMS Edinburgh HMS Protector HMS Montrose
RFA Fort Victoria HMS Somerset
FASLANE ROSYTH
HMS Gannet YEOVILTON
DEVONPORT
CULDROSE 771 NAS
PORTSMOUTH HMS Iron Duke Satellite imagery courtesy of NASA Fleet Focus Sniper ends pirates’ dash Protecting our nation’s interests
IT was another month of homecomings as 2011 drew to a close – with one ship in particular basking in the warm
glow of media stardom. HMS Ocean was the darling of the Internet and news channels
when their version of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You caught the public eye – as well as winning the endorsement of the singer herself.
Devonport welcomed the Mighty O, Portsmouth greeted
destroyer HMS Edinburgh (from the South Atlantic) and frigate HMS St Albans (patrolling the Gulf), Faslane was the destination for HMS Bangor (Operation Ellamy off Libya) and St Albans’ Merlin flight 829 Naval Air Squadron winged their way back to Culdrose (see pages 4-5). Meanwhile one ship was heading out of port – ice patrol
vessel HMS Protector left Portsmouth for her maiden voyage to Antarctica, though the sea gods were not kind to her as she made her way to Plymouth in a Force 8 gale to pick up equipment (see page 3). She is also our ship of the month (see page 12). One ship still on station is RFA Fort Victoria, which had another encounter with pirates in the Somali Basin (see right). Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious proved her worth in her new
role of commando carrier when she passed her Operational Sea Training test, and we joined her when she put a force of green berets from 40 Commando RM ashore in North Devon (see pages 24-25).
And talking of Royal Marines, the new recruits to the RM Band Service don’t just play a mean tune – they also play their part at the sharp end of Corps activities, for which they undergo military training (see pages 14-15). With Merlin Mk 2 in the offing, 824 Naval Air Squadron at
Culdrose is gearing up to train the men and women who will fly, fight and maintain the new version of the helicopter (see pages 20-21).
The Royal Navy’s newest submarine, HMS Astute, was the
centre of attention at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia when the attack boat called in after the successful missile tests we reported last month (see page 7). Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke has been sailing in some
tricky waters round the UK coast – all the better to train the Royal Navy’s next tranche of specialist navigators (see page 8). And while she was edging carefully through narrows and round shoals, the team at Craft Trials Wing of 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron at RM Instow have been charging around the Bristol Channel at 40kts, testing the capabilities of the Swedish Combat Boat 90 (see page 22). Minehunter HMS Shoreham has been visiting her namesake town on the Sussex coast, and her Commanding Offi cer, Lt Cdr Sarah West, is also making the news – she is to be the fi rst woman at the helm of a major Royal Navy warship when she moves on to HMS Portland (see page 10). And research by scientists has cleared the way for women to serve on board Royal Navy submarines (also on page 10). HMS Echo has been given a clean bill of health in her MOT, allowing her to carry on sounding the waters of the Middle East (see page 6). HMS Kent took a step back to operational readiness by sailing from Rosyth following a year-long refi t (see page 10). And the 2010 Firmin Sword of Peace has been awarded to RFA Largs Bay for her humanitarian efforts following the earthquake in Haiti – though the ship herself now sails under the Australian fl ag as HMAS Choules (see page 6).
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ROYAL Marines pore over a suspected pirate launch crammed with fuel drums at the end of a dramatic sea and helicopter chase in the Indian Ocean. One mother ship, two skiffs and seven suspected pirates were snared by British naval forces in the latest blow dealt to the freebooters.
A commando sniper was forced to fire
warning shots from the back of a Lynx to bring one fast skiff to a halt as it tried to flee from the clutches of a dedicated anti- piracy force aboard RFA Fort Victoria. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary picked up
a report that a Spanish fishing boat had come under attack from a pirate action group around 480 miles from the Seychelles and 400 miles off the coast of Somalia.
The ship’s Lynx was immediately scrambled and hastened to the scene, where it found a whaler and skiff in the vicinity of the fishing vessel. The skiff chose to flee the scene, racing away at 25kts, with the Lynx – the world’s fastest helicopter – giving chase. The boat’s crew ignored all calls from
the Lynx crew to stop, so a specially- trained commando sniper fired warning shots ahead of the fleeing vessel, finally bringing it to a stop. Its crew were subsequently arrested and taken by boat to Fort Victoria, which is operating as part of NATO’s counter piracy Combined Task Force 508. Fort Victoria’s Royal Marines boarding team then focused their attention on the whaler and another skiff nearby. As a result of the day’s action, seven suspected pirates were detained aboard Fort Vic – as was their whaler as evidence. “We could see the fishing vessel was clearly in trouble, and our actions were decisive in disrupting the pirates from further attacks on the fishermen,” said Lt Alastair ‘AJ’ Thompson, the Lynx Flight Commander aboard Fort Victoria. “This operation was superbly well
co-ordinated.” It’s another success for the combined Royal Navy-Royal Marines-Fleet Air Arm- Royal Fleet Auxiliary force on the support ship; earlier in the autumn it freed the crew of the MV Montecristo attacked by pirates
– then captured a mother ship suspected to be behind the attack on the Italian merchantman.
The prisoners were handed over to authorities in the Seychelles – the first time this has occurred under an agreement between the UK and islands signed in 2009. “It’s been a long, but rewarding operation with many complex aspects,” said Capt Gerry Northwood, in charge of the Royal Navy’s counter-piracy mission on Fort Victoria.
The latest success by the force he leads was praised by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. “British Forces are in the forefront in the fight against piracy,” he said. “The resolute contribution of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, operating as part of an international coalition, is keeping up the pressure.
“This latest operation demonstrates again the vital work we are undertaking to tackle piracy that threatens international shipping lanes.” Picture: LA(Phot) Dave Jenkins (FRPU East)
HMS Clyde RFA Gold Rover
Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
Naval Party 1023 HMS Turbulent HMS Argyll HMS Echo HMS Quorn HMS Middleton HMS Pembroke HMS Ramsey RFA Diligence RFA Lyme Bay
Naval Party 1022
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