10 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2007
Merlin-Sea King
Bayleaf keeps
’em running
sucker punch
QUESTION: what does it take
to sustain large-scale operations
in the Arabian Gulf and Indian
Ocean?
Answer: RFA Bayleaf, of
THE combination of Sea King and Merlin on anti-
course.
drugs operations in the Caribbean is proving its
For pretty much every
value – and bodes well for similar missions in the
movement by a Royal Navy
warship east of Suez, as well as
future. numerous Allied vessels in the
Ocean snared £28m of cocaine, as we reported last month, region, relies on the fuel provided
thanks to the efforts of a ‘bagger’ Sea King of 854 NAS with its by the veteran tanker.
airborne surveillance and control kit, and a Merlin of 700M NAS, Indeed, apart from the clutch
which pounced on the drug runners as they tried to haul bales of of British vessels passing in and
narcotics from the water. out of theatre, ships from the
What we didn’t tell you was how the two aircraft worked in USA, Australia, France, Pakistan
tandem, thanks to hi-tech camera kit being evaluated by experts
and Germany have guzzled
from the RN’s Maritime Warfare Centre at HMS Collingwood.
Bayleaf’s gas.
The Merlin was fi tted with an MX15 ‘Wescam’, an EO – electro-
The biggest guzzler was USS
optical – camera, which provides its crew with images irrespective
Boxer, a 40,000-ton helicopter
of day, night or weather.
carrier and assault ship, which
The radar of the bagger Sea King picked up a slow-moving
took 2,400 tonnes of fuel on
aircraft, thought to be carrying drugs, passing on the details to
board (minehunters HMS Blyth
the Merlin.
and Ramsey, by contrast, needed
Thanks to the camera kit, it tracked the suspicious airplane
a mere 24 tonnes to maintain
visually in the dark, then tracked the bales as they were dropped
them when they replenished-at-
into the sea for a waiting boat – and onward distribution.
sea with the auxiliary).
“We know that this combination of Sea King and Merlin is really
Not all the time at sea is spent
effective,” said the MWC’s Cdr Malcolm Pollock, in charge of
refuelling Allied vessels.
developing aviation tactics and operations.
In between RASing there are
The trials with the camera in the Caribbean is just one strand of
regular exercises to keep Bayleaf
work by the MWC team in the art of airborne surveillance.
on her toes – fire-fighting drills,
Baggers of 857 NAS in the Indian Ocean are working in
weapons training, dummies
conjunction with American Scan Eagle robot aircraft (UAVs
overboard to rescue, imaginary
– Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in support of maritime security
breakdowns.
operations.
Gunnery instructors from F
The work with the American drones, launched from the assault
lag Officer Sea Training have
ship USS Carter Hall (pictured below), mirrors the work the MWC
also been on board to test the
did with a robot plane off Scotland with HMS Sutherland 18
aptitude of the RFA men and
months ago.
women at blasting targets out
Those trials could bear fruit in the near future with the very
of the water by day or night
real possibility of a British warship deploying with a UAV aboard, ● Do you hear there: Does anyone know why the ship has turned black and white but the White Ensign
possibly a mini helicopter or a strange-looking aircraft which is still in glorious Technicolour?... HMS Shoreham’s CO Lt Cdr Nick Borbone and his bridge team bring
using the Mini Gun, 20mm and
parachutes into the sea at the end of its mission. the ship alongside HMS Hurworth in Erdek, Turkey
General-Purpose Machine guns.
“I think the exciting thing about UAVs is that they can give you
Picture: LA(Phot) Kaz Williams, FRPU Whale Island
“The evening shoot was quite
long-term possibilities – they can be up for hours on end, unlike a
spectacular with a paper sack
ship’s helicopter,” said Cdr Pollock.
target covered in multi-coloured
Even more enticing is the thought of major strike carrier
operations launched from a British conventional fl at-top, a dream
which will become reality in the next decade.
Over the past year HMS Illustrious has been working hard on
strike mission planning to pave the way for HM Ships Queen
Orion goes
luminous liquid looking like a
well-lit Christmas tree,” said 3/O
Tanya Warner.
“On completion of the weapons
team’s shoot, a few rounds were
Elizabeth and Prince of Wales and their Joint Strike Fighter
left in the Mini Gun and – under
aircraft.
the watchful gaze of the FOST
That work is continuing apace in 2007 with exercises with Naval
instructor – I was able to shoot at
Harriers aboard Lusty this spring in UK waters and the Baltic, and
the target. ‘Wow!’ is all I can say.”
later with US Marine Corps AV8 Harriers joining the ship when
she visits the USA, and towards the year’s end Spanish AV8s will
land on board.
Assisting the RN in re-learning the art of carrier strike is US
Navy pilot Lt Cdr José ‘Manny’ De La Fuente, a veteran of combat
hunting
And a trip to the Gulf is not
complete without a visit to the
ski slopes, for not all Bayleaf’s
deployment is spent at sea.
The tanker has called in at
missions in a F18 jets operating from American fl at-tops who is
Jebel Ali and Dubai to give her
part of the MWC’s carrier strike team.
ship’s company a breather and to
He’s observing the way the RN and RAF conduct fast jet
swap sailors.
operations from Lusty, as well as providing vital input and liaison
IN KEEPING with the
Crazy A was ordered to investigate and original Olympic stadium) Dubai especially has numerous
for the British ship’s visit to the USA.
mythical ‘patron’ of their
and haul the mock explosive out and new (night life and the 2004 delights, not least the world’s
of the sea. Olympic stadium). largest indoor snowdrome. As a
deployment, the ships of
“A mine find does wonders The five ships pooled their result, the ship is slowly building
the Orion task force have for the ship’s company’s morale sporting talent to form Team a fledgling ski and snowboard
been hunting mines in
– especially when we are able Orion for a rugby match with team.
earnest.
to return to harbour with the an ex-pat/Greek side, Athenian
The RN has dispatched five
fruits of our labours on the sweep Springboks.
vessels to the Mediterranean
deck,” said Lt Cdr Guy Dale- It looked bad for the scratch RN
Smith, Atherstone’s CO. side who were down 21-0 within
Raleigh’s gate
and Black Sea for a four-month
Just to add to the excitement of the first ten minutes. They fought
deployment: Sandown-class ships
Ariadne, if mines were not enough back however and eventually won
HMS Walney and Shoreham,
to contend with, enemy air power the tie 27-21.
is opened
Hunts HMS Atherstone and
was thrown into the mix, with the Upon leaving Piraeus, Orion
Hurworth and ‘mother ship’ RFA
task group attacked by helicopters split again. Atherstone made for MEMBERS of the public will
Cardigan Bay.
and fast jets. Souda Bay in Crete, while the rest be able to look around HMS
Orion has cast its net wide,
Air attack for a Hunt or of the group sailed through the Raleigh in Torpoint when it
from La Spezia in north-west Italy
Sandown is daunting; there’s not Dardanelles and into Erdek. opens its gates to visitors on
to the Turkish naval base of Erdek
a great deal you can do with Souda is home to NATO’s Wednesday August 1.
in the Sea of Marmara.
little more than machine-guns for FORACS range, ideal for giving Entry to the open day,
The first major test for the Orion
defence and a top speed of 15kts Atherstone’s sensitive sonars and between 10am and 3pm, is
group came off Patras in Greece
(or just 13kts for the Sandowns). weapons systems a ‘health check’; free and will give the public a
with Exercise Ariadne, a large-
The quartet of minehunters that health check, you’ll be pleased chance to see how civvies are
scale hunt for mines involving
parted company with Cardigan to read, was glowing. transformed into sailors in just
naval forces from Belgium, Spain,
Bay for passage to Piraeus. As for the Turkish element eight weeks during basic entry
Germany, Greece and Turkey off
‘Mother’ had to sail around of Orion, the four ships spent training.
the Peloponnese coast.
the tip of the Peloponnese, while a week off Erdek working with There will also be a variety of
specialist legal advice
The Hellenic Navy kindly laid the four smaller ships squeezed the Turks on a mix of exercises interactive displays including a
plenty of dummy mines for the through the Corinth Canal to involving gunnery, minehunting chance to experience open-air
Allied warships to find – which
to forces personnel
Athens’ great port. and defence against fast inshore dining in the shape of a fi eld
some did. Piraeus is just 20 minutes’ attack craft before taking a break kitchen and to take a close
Atherstone’s sonar picked up away from the Greek capital by in the base of Erdek. look at the Navy’s latest Rigid
a buoyant mine – similar to the metro, so it was on to the train to The force is currently making Infl atable Boat, the Pacifi c 24,
Suffered a Military Injury? WW2 tethered ones – and the sample sights old (the Acropolis its way around the Black Sea.
which came into service last
We deal with all types of injury claim involving
year.
the military.
Also on show will be the
base’s fi re-fi ghting facilities and
We can assist you with your claim under the
the DRIU ship simulator where
new AFCS and advise you on whether to
sailors learn how to patch up a
pursue your claim in the civil courts under our
damaged warship.
‘no win no fee’ specialist military legal Raleigh does much more
advice scheme. than train rookie sailors,
however. It is also home to the
Police Interview/
RN Submarine School which
Courts Martial
will be open to visitors, who
Nigel Burn and Gilbert
contact will be able to listen in on sonar
training, try their hand at Morse
Blades are well known for
Nigel Burn or Tean Butcher
Bank Street, Lincoln LN2 1DR code, tour the heritage area
their Courts Martial
Tel: 01522 512345 between 9am - 5.15pm which celebrates the Silent
expertise throughout the
or for Military Discipline Matters only contact Service’s illustrious history,
UK and Europe. Nigel Burn Mob: 07775 860608 after 6pm and see a Tomahawk cruise
www.wilkinchapman.co.uk
missile which was fi red by HMS
We can also advise on: Trafalgar on trials six years ago.
Employment Issues
“The open day is about
Family Problems
raising awareness of what we
do at HMS Raleigh, raising
House Purchases
awareness of the quality of
Wills
our people and the excellent
training we provide,” said
A LEADING SPECIALIST IN MILITARY LAW Raleigh’s Commanding Officer
● Three’s company... Alongside in Erdek are (l-r) HM Ships Walney, Shoreham and Hurworth Cdre John Keegan.
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