2 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
845 NAS
HMS Dasher
HMS Hurworth
HMS Pursuer
3 Cdo Bde BRF
Naval Strike Wing/40 Cdo/
Orion task force
Vikings/846 NAS/FSMASU
HMS Sabre/Scimitar
847 NAS/539 ASRM
RFA Wave Knight
RFA Largs Bay
RFA Argus
HMS Argyll
HMS Campbeltown
HMS Enterprise
HMS Manchester
HMS Ramsey
HMS Blyth
RFA Bayleaf
RFA Sir Bedivere
RFA Cardigan Bay
FASLANE
ROSYTH 820 NAS
HMS Gannet
HMS Gloucester 857 NAS
RFA Gold Rover
HMS Clyde
HMS W
estminster
HMS Nottingham
HMS Exeter
HMS Endurance
Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
PORTSMOUTH
DEVONPORT
Fleet Fleet FocusFocus
Per ardua ad Astro
THE most fleeting of glances at our map shows you where
the Royal Navy’s principal effort is at present.
THIS is the moment £20m of NAS was scrambled. Astromelia’s movements – the Coast Guard Law Enforcement
But we’re not going to begin our round-up in the Gulf. Nope,
cocaine fell into the hands of The helicopter quickly found traffickers decided it was time Detachment to board the
we’re starting our panorama of all things RN in the cooler,
RFA Largs Bay – on her fi rst the Venezuelan boat Astromelia to make good their exit. Astromelia.
damper surroundings of Prestwick in Scotland.
front-line operation. and observed as its crew Despite being weighted, “I am delighted that we’ve
No Search and Rescue unit has been busier in this past quarter
The new landing support hastily began dumping bales many of the bales of cocaine successfully secured a
century than HMS Gannet whose Sea Kings scrambled on
ship had just arrived in the overboard. floated; 575kg of narcotics were significant amount of cocaine
average once every day in 2007 (see page 5).
Caribbean to take over from As Largs closed on the recovered before darkness – and once more dealt a blow
Elsewhere, the Arabian Gulf remains the focal point of RN/RFA
HMS Portland in the fight scene, her sea boat closed on engulfed the Caribbean and the to the drug cartels,” said
activity.
against drug runners when the bales, while the Lynx kept sea boat team returned to their Largs Bay’s Capt Ian Johnson.
Nine major floating assets can be found in and around Gulf
she pounced on a suspicious tabs on mother ship. “It’s particularly satisifying
waters, plus three squadrons, and the Royals of 539 ASRM.
vessel. The Lynx meanwhile had given that this is the ship’s
Frigate HMS Argyll has just handed over duties in the northern
Largs was asked to refuelled and continued the first operational deployment
Gulf to HMS Campbeltown (see page 5), while survey ship HMS
investigate a fishing pursuit of Astromelia, now after commissioning and
Enterprise continues to collect data to update the waters’
vessel stopped in powering through the night demonstrates the ongoing
navigational charts (see page 15).
the water some 400 without lights and ignoring all commitment to keep narcotics
Iraqi sailors and marines are increasingly taking responsibility
miles north-east of requests to stop. off our streets.”
for protection of their own waters under the watchful eye of the
Barbados. That was until Largs Bay Astromelia and her crew
Naval Transition Team (see pages 5 and 13-14).
As dusk fell, the caught up with her and were escorted by Largs Bay
Also in the Gulf, but attached to the US Navy, is the Busy Bee:
ship’s Lynx Flight dispatched until they were handed over to
HMS Manchester has been ‘riding shotgun’ for the American
from 815 a US Venezuelan authorities.
carrier Harry S Truman (see page 6).
Several hundred miles away, the other core effort by the RN
is in the sands of Afghanistan, where the Royal Marines of 40
Commando launched their first amphibious raid in the country
(see pages 22-23). Overhead, the Naval Strike Wing (see page
11) and 846 NAS continue to provide constant support.
Not content with being at the heart of these two UK
commitments, the RN is leading a 13-ship-strong deployment
east of Suez, Orion 08 (see page 4). The task group, headed
by HMS Illustrious, comprises HM Ships Edinburgh (also our
ship of the month – see page 12), Westminster and Trafalgar,
plus RFA Wave Knight, Fort Austin, Diligence and Bayleaf.
Attached at times to the force will be HMS Chiddingfold and
Atherstone, USS Cole, Spain’s SNS Mendez Nunez and France’s
FS Jean Bart.
With all these ships and units committed across the globe,
considerable spiritual and medical support is constantly needed.
We take a look at the role of chaplains and ships’ doctors on a
Exe-rated
major deployment on page 5.
The desert and mountains of the Sierra Nevada beckoned for
3 Commando Brigade Reconnaissance Force who conducted
attraction
training in an extreme environment alongside American
counterparts (turn to page 20).
BY FAR the largest and most
The RFA’s new Bay-class support ships are being thrust
expensive vessel on display at the
increasingly into the front line. Largs Bay bagged drug runners
2008 London Boat Show (and
in the Caribbean (see right), while Cardigan Bay is replacing the
the one you’d least like to meet on
venerable Sir Bedivere in the northern Gulf (see page 7).
a dark night if you were up to no
Our ‘cover star’ HMS Endurance is helping British Antarctic
good) was veteran destroyer HMS
Survey scientists study climate change by boring into the frozen
Exeter.
continent (see the centre pages). The RN has been sending a
North of Endurance, destroyer HMS Nottingham has been major warship – always a frigate
conducting exercises off West Falkland with local infantry and – to the show in London’s
RAF units (see page 10). Docklands since 2004.
There are cold waters ahead, too, for HMS Roebuck (command This year the Admiralty sent a
ship) and minehunter HMS Hurworth with a NATO task group in Type 42 instead – a rather good
the Baltic (see page 5).
decision by the bigwigs as some
Two iconic river crossings provided the stunning backdrops for
25,000 people wandered around
HMS Gloucester (the Forth Rail Bridge) and HMS Westminster
the Falklands veteran during her
(Tower Bridge) as the former emerged from an overhaul and the
ten-day stay at the ExCel Centre
latter visited the capital (see opposite).
(pictured, left).
HMS Exeter could also be found in London, attending the
Exeter hosted presentations,
city’s annual boat show (see right).
receptions and dinners on behalf
Also in home waters, sister frigates HMS Portland,
Northumberland and Richmond finally returned to the UK
of the show’s organisers, while
following deployments to the West Indies, Mediterranean and
her ship’s company gave visitors
Gulf respectively (see page 4).
an insight into today’s Senior
And finally, apologies in advance for an entire page devoted to
Service.
Picture: LA(Phot) Alex Cave,
Crab Air (page 38). We promise not to do it again. FRPU Whale Island
002_NN_Feb.indd 1 21/1/08 10:54:14
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