NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
THIS is what happens when missile meets missile at
a combined velocity of more than twice the speed of
Return of
sound.
A drone target towed by a Falcon disintegrates as a Seawolf from
HMS Westminster smashes into it low over the ocean.
Last month we featured successful Seawolf firings by HMS
Somerset.
Well anything Somerset can do, her sister Westminster can do just
as effectively.
Like Somerset, firing Seawolf was the final ‘tick in the box’ before
the big
Westminster was declared fully operational.
Unlike Somerset, we have a complete(ish) sequence of images
charting Seawolf’s destructive progress thanks to the photographry
of Lt Jon Wade and PO Bob Sharples, both of Westminster’s 829 NAS
flight.
Seawolf bursts out of its silo (1) (it’s actually launched vertically, but the
hole in the film strip was the wrong shape – Ed); races through the sky (2);
bad wolf
the booster rocket drops away (3); Seawolf’s secondary rocket motors
kick in (4) and (5) to carry the missile towards its target at around Mach
2; and finally impact (6) and (7). It all lasts barely ten seconds.
Thanks to its two tracking radars, Seawolf can independently fire a
salvo of missiles against two different targets.
With a drone being towed by a friendly aircraft, however, Seawolf
was in human hands, not a computer’s, for these test firings.
‘Firing our Seawolf is always a privilege,” said Lt Cdr Mandy Miller,
Westminster’s Weapon Engineer Officer.
“It was very pleasing to have achieved our final preparation for the
deployment in such style after much hard work from the whole team.”
Westminster is the anti-submarine escort for the Orion 08 deployment
led by HMS Illustrious (see opposite), but she can also defend herself
against aerial threats.
Should anything slip past Edinburgh’s Sea Darts, Westminster’s
Seawolf missiles are the next line of defence for the carrier task group
(the very last line is provided by Illustrious’ Goalkeeper automated
machine-guns).
ADMIRALTY QUARTER, PORTSMOUTH
•£500 PER MONTH
COME AND
TOWARDS YOUR MORTGAGE
FOR TWO YEARS...
TALK TO US!
•OR 5% OF YOUR DEPOSIT PAID...
• BOTH WITH £500 TOWARDS LEGAL FEES!*
Wake up to a fantastic new life of choices at Admiralty Quarter, Queen Street, Portsmouth.
This superb development of studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses, crowned
by a 22-storey tower, overlooks Portsmouth Harbour and Gunwharf Quays.
A selected range of contemporary studios, apartments and penthouses available:
Studio apartments from £99,000**
1 bedroom apartments from £141,000**
2 bedroom apartments from £196,000**
Visit the Marketing Suite on Queen Street, open daily from 10am to 5pm, and have a look at
the stunning Show Apartments, call
0870 759 0325
email admiraltyquarter@crestnicholson.com or text AQ + ‘your name’ to 84070
* Offer available for a limited period and on selected plots only. Not to be used in conjunction with any
other scheme or offer. Subject to Crest Nicholson’s terms and conditions.
** Prices correct at time of going to press.
Marketing
Suite
View of Portsmouth Harbour from Admiralty Quarter The courtyard garden at Admiralty Quarter
www.crestnicholson.com/admiraltyquarter Call now on 0870 759 0325
0011_NN_Apr.indd 111_NN_Apr.indd 1 117/3/08 12:24:037/3/08 12:24:03
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56