NAVY NEWS, MAY 2008 11
● US Marines touch down on the fl ight deck of HMS Ark Royal in their Sea Knight helicopters during Exercise
Constant Alliance
Picture: LA(Phot) Gregg Macready, HMS Ark Royal
Corps values time with Ark
BROWN camoufl age uniforms, high and
USS Normandy and Arleigh Burke destroyer USS It was also time to introduce the USMC to defence there isn’t that much difference between us – apart
tight haircuts and the American brogue
Mitscher. watches, carefully explaining to them the delight of from being dry ships of course.”
could mean only one thing.
Next came the helicopters: CH-46E Sea Knights having curry for breakfast. As for Ark’s command team, they too enjoyed
(a mini Chinook) and MH-60S Knighthawks (the But not for too long: they were soon deployed the opportunity to work side-by-side with the
Yes, HMS Ark Royal had arrived in the United
latest naval version of the legendary Blackhawk). ashore to monitor the insurgents. Americans.
States and the US Marine Corps were aboard.
The Sea Knights perform the same role as our Which they did successfully before being brought “It proved to be a most successful ten days, where
With the snow and ice of Norway and Exercise
Junglie Sea Kings, while the Knighthawks act as back aboard Ark for Operation Dry Out: hot food and achievements were reached beyond expectations,”
Armatura Borealis in the past, the only chill now was
combat search and rescue aircraft. drinks handed out by the ship’s company, while the enthused Lt Col Mark Searight RM, Ark’s Amphibious
from the shadow of USS George Washington, which
Activity on the fl ight deck was frenetic as the marines exchanged damp clothes for dry overalls. Operations Offi cer.
was berthed on the jetty opposite.
squadron pilots undertook a series of day and night The ‘media’ reported the success of this initial raid, “The amphibious role of HMS Ark Royal was tried
Ark was alongside in Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia
deck landings to become qualifi ed to operate from including a daily TV news bulletin produced by the and tested and for the majority of I Coy 3/8, their fi rst
– a dozen times larger than Pompey and six times
Ark. young offi cers on board. taste of amphibious training was on board a British
bigger than Devonport – to begin loading US Navy
“Working with a variety of aircraft that were As the tempo of operations increased and the carrier.”
and Marine Corps personnel and their equipment
unfamiliar with our aviation practices was both terrorists ashore appeared to be on the back foot, Ark’s CO Capt Mike Mansergh added: “We have
for Exercise Constant Alliance and acquainting them
challenging and very, very satisfying,” said Ark’s Lt further reconnaissance missions were carried out proved that we can operate in any environment as
with unfamiliar surroundings.
Damian Shields. before the main air assault was launched, depositing part of a multi-national force.
As the carrier crossed the Atlantic, her sailors were
“It went like clockwork due to the support of a lot the entire company in the Camp Lejeune training “Every exercise brings new challenges that cause
briefed on American terminology and exactly what all
of brass and well-oiled wheels.” area. us to raise the level of our game, personally and as
those stripes on their sleeves meant. Suitably acquainted with Ark, the fliers could move While the US Marines were enjoying life aboard a
a team.
However, on that fi rst day there were still a few on to the key part of Constant Alliance: restoring British warship, 69 of Ark’s sailors hopped across to
“Constant Alliance provided us with an opportunity
puzzled faces: Is that a master gunnery sergeant …or order in a fictional land plagued by a terrorist the Normandy for a day. to show just how capable we are in the commando
is it a fi rst sergeant? bombing campaign and pressure from neighbouring “The crew of Normandy were glad to see us, carrier role.”
That was only the start of it: the USMC troops, nations. allowed us free rein of the ship and were happy to “The training value of the exercise far exceeded
138 men of I Company 3/8 Marines, normally based The force faced numerous tests throughout the answer any question thrown at them, no matter how initial expectations and we are now very much looking
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, fi led aboard and exercise from remote-controlled fast inshore attack trivial or dumb,” said POMEA Lane. forward to returning to work with US Forces during
quickly settled down in their messes or ‘staterooms’ craft to F16s overhead. “As far as I was concerned they destroyed any the major Joint Task Force Exercise this summer.”
as they prefer to call them. The tacticians and planners now started to earn negative preconceptions I had about our American Indeed, Ark will be in these same waters in July
And now to sea. Ark was given command of a their money as the terrorists were tracked and cousins. It was also reassuring to know that even for JTFX (Joint Task Force Exercise), run by the
small task force off the Eastern Seaboard: cruiser conventional forces monitored. though different ensigns fl y from the quarterdeck, Americans.
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Countering the unpredictable
Lock on to MBDA solutions
: G. Plisson
Photo
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NEW 011_NN_May.indd 1 22/4/08 10:42:56
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