NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2007 27
● Merlin and Sea King together on Ocean’s fl ightdeck
New kids
on the
block
OPERATION Rum Chaser has communities. We have further
brought together the Navy’s lat- developed those already-existing
est helicopters and the Navy’s tactics.
oldest helicopters on board “The sort of work we are doing
HMS Ocean in a completely new here is surveillance – surveillance
way. is what the Sea King ASaC does,
The state-of-the-art Merlins of like it says on the tin. From the
700M NAS are new to HMS sea, from the air and the land.
Ocean – this is in fact only the “It’s been a good mixture of
second time that Merlins have operations for us, and excellent
operated from the assault ship, detachments alongside.”
but the other new boys are new in The four helicopters – the two
name only... Merlins of 700M and two of the
While 854 NAS is a recent three Sea Kings in 854 – have
addition to the Fleet Air Arm, been proving their worth beyond
the squadron’s Sea King ASaC their traditional Naval roles.
are seasoned veterans of carriers’ The two COs are justifiably
decks, but hitherto the Mark 7 proud of their teams and how they
helicopters had flown under the have coped with this deployment.
title of 849 NAS A Flight. Lt Cdr Richardson said: “We’re
Commanding Officer Lt Cdr a small unit that’s come on board
David ‘Ronnie’ Biggs said: “The here, we’ve achieved a good flying
change has given the squadron a rate, and achieved all that was
long-yearned for identity as a sep- asked of us operationally.
arate squadron. There have been a “I’m proud that the unit has
myriad of small gains. risen to the challenge and deliv-
“It’s about identity – about peo- ered to the frontline.
ple knowing what 854 is and what “We can go everywhere and
it brings to the party.” operate off everything. That’s one
The two squadron’s aircraft of our strengths.
have been working together in a “The beauty of the aircraft is
What next
completely new tasking for ships that it can quickly re-role anti-
on station in the Caribbean on submarine warfare, casualty evac-
anti-drug patrol. uation, search and rescue, vertical
Normally this is the patrol route replenishment. It’s very versatile.
of a frigate, destroyer or Royal “This is a tight-knit team – a
Fleet Auxiliary with a singleton really cracking team. We work
for Ocean?
aircraft, so HMS Ocean with her together to achieve the aim, and
expansive flightdeck and multi- always deliver. It’s an extremely AFTER four months away, HMS Ocean has now returned to her
helo hangar has been able to bring good unit with high standards.” home port in Devonport where after a well-earned spell of summer
something new to the mix. Lt Cdr Biggs commented: “It’s leave, her crew will take her into a 13-month docking period.
The US anti-narcotics task all about teamwork to make sure Conceived in the Cold War, HMS Ocean was never designed for the
force and Fleet saw the potential all is done effectively to get the heat that has been her theatre for much of the past year.
of Ocean’s airborne eyes. result. Designed as a troop carrier to take Marines and their vehicles to the
Hence the assault ship has been “I said to my troops what I ice and snow of Norway, the assault ship was an economical hybrid of
keeping a steady watch on the air- wanted to see was bales and drugs Naval and commercial shipping – but the two elements are not always
bridge that the runners use to fly and people in custody. natural partners.
their illegal cargo between South “This is a big team working Lt Cdr Dave O’Shaughnessy, the Senior Engineer on board, explained:
America and the Caribbean, in together to that one aim. It’s all “This is the first ship built to commercial standards, not to Naval stand-
addition to looking out for the ‘go- about teamwork. That what it ards. The main issue on here is obsolescence, getting hold of the neces-
fast’ speedboats rushing north- proves every time we do it. It’s sary parts.
wards on the sea. very satisfying. Great buzz in the “Every ship gets defects and because of where we are in the upkeep
This operation has seen the crew. cycle, the ETs are getting a really good grounding in hands-on engineer-
two squadrons working seamlessly “The engineers have to work ing.”
with Ocean to deliver the goods very very hard to keep the aircraft Now ten years old the assault ship is looking tired and ready for a bit
– whether catching the drug-run- going. I couldn’t do anything in of tender care with a programme of work with DML and the ship’s com-
ners in the act or deterring any the world without a working air- pany that will take her through to the end of the year and beyond.
attempt in the first place. craft. It’s an old aircraft – but it’s And the warship has proven her worth despite leaking pipes and trou-
Commanding Officer of 700M reliable and proven.” blesome engines; she has spent just six weeks alongside in her home port
NAS, Lt Cdr Gavin Richardson “It’s a good combination of Devonport in the last 12 months.
said: “It’s a whole team effort between the two aircraft types A year which has seen her at the heart of the Vela amphibious deploy-
– Ocean, ASaC and Merlin. It’s a – old and new,” added Lt Cdr ment to West Africa in autumn, then up to Norway in the cold winter
potent combination. Richardson. “They’ve got an old months, sea training in the characteristic Devon spring, then out to the
“The ASaC provides a good airframe with some really cracking Caribbean for sunshine and possible hurricanes as summer comes.
air picture which we can then be technology inside. And the year has taken its toll on the various differing systems that
launched to support in order to “The combination is potent and make up the unique environment of this assault ship and the remark-
watch an air track of interest.” worked really well. ably small team of hard-working engineers on board the Navy’s biggest
Lt Cdr David ‘Ronnie’ Biggs “These sorts of deployment warship.
explained: “There is a long- don’t come up very often. We are Chippie CPO George Gaitens said: “Because she’s a one-off things
established working relationship providing real-world tasking on
● Maintainers working on
are different. We haven’t got the documentation or the stores back-up.
between the airborne early warn- the counter-narcotics side – trying
an 854 NAS Sea King – it still
“A lot of the issues on here are general wear and tear. She has done
ing and anti-submarine warfare to make the world a better place.”
retains the distinctive red aardvark
what was asked for originally.
from when it was 849 NAS A Flight
“It’s just that we’re asking more of her.”
WO1 Rab Butler, the senior marine engineering rating, commented:
● An ASaC Sea King comes in to land on Ocean’s fl ightdeck
“She is being driven hard through a harsh environment.”
He added: “The reason she works hard is because she’s useful. She’s
economical. She has two diesels so is relatively cheap to run. With a
cheaper platform, you get more bang for your buck.”
But her unique nature brings certain problems, he admits: “It doesn’t
make it impossible but it makes it challenging – particularly from an
engineering point of view.”
“Engineering is engineering – if it can go wrong it will go wrong.
Machines break.
“It’s the same as anything. If you have a car and don’t service it, it
starts to fail. Now she’s ready for that service period,” said Rab.
“Change the oils and the filters – and off she’ll go again.”
And back in the sunshine, frigate HMS Portland has taken over
the Caribbean beat from her larger sister while Ocean’s crew prepare
for months of hard graft during her upkeep period, but at least it has
the novelty of being hard graft in her home port for this hardworking
ship.
0023-027_NN_aug07.indd 523-027_NN_aug07.indd 5 118/7/07 16:04:348/7/07 16:04:34
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