14 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008
● Preparations for the dawn raid inside RFA Lyme Bay’s dock
Big cats sha
THE DOCK of the amphibi-T
ous landing ship is bathed in
Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Royal Marines. Royal Navy. Fleet Air Arm. Royal Logistics
pale blue light.
Corps. One hoofing big ship embroiled in one hoofing big exercise. Exercise
A cluster of dark-faced Royal
South-West Leopard saw the RFA’s newest landing ship, RFA Lyme Bay, caught
MarM ines stand waiting for the
up in a whirlwind of beach assaults, firefighting, evacuees, flying ops and
order to climb on board the two
midnight raids. But as one member of the ship’s crew cheerfully said: “If it
landing craft in the dock.l wasn’t challenging, it’d be boring, wouldn’t it?”
Outside the lights of the
BroB wnian shore twinkle defiantly
“We approach things with a Russell Paul and Maj Chris Fomes and two people for the role that
at midnight despite the rebel group
great sense of humour and loads of 1 Assault Group RM (1AGRM) the Navigator does.
that t rampages among them.
of enthusiasm. And given some- and Lt Cdr Andy Spurdle adding “An LPD is a command plat-
For ten days the terrorists of
thing to do – an end product as a touch of dark blue to the green form but it is also a warship – it
the Pro-Ginger Front hat ve been
a task – the guys respond very
elements. has a full warfighting team which
seeking to rekindle the conflict
well.”
Exercise South-West Leopard is an extra 60 people bolted on
betwb een the once-warring Brownia
The ship’s crew of 68 RFA are
was originally conceived for a for- to it, it’s got an integral ASRM,
and Ginger. bolstered by the landing craft and
eign assault ship, but when that 83 people bolted on, no RLC, its
It’s not clear which straw final- Royal Marines of 9ASRM (Assault
ship had to pull out of the slot, Lt own boat crew...”
ly broke the camel’l s back. The Squadron RM), a landing force
Col Russell Paul knew that this “Be under no illusion, this is
flood of refugees thaf t poured on of Royal Marines and RN from
was too good an opportunity to an amphibious specialist ship,”
to RFt A Lyme Bay. The noxious the Commando Helicopter Force
pass up for the RFA ship. stressed Lt Col Paul. “It is though
smoke from the fire started at (CHF) at Yeovilton, a specialist
Lt Col Paul has a certain interest lean-manned. Its ship’s staff need
the Fuel Depot.t Rebel leader Al vessel troop of Royal Logistics
augmentation to provide them
Red Nose’R s self-proclaimed king-
in the Bay class; he was integral to
Corps personnel from 17 Port
making.m Perhaps most serious, the and Maritime at Marchwood,
the amphibious trials and testing with robust 24-hour, seven-days-
devastating mortar attack on the flightdeck crew from the Mobile
programme that Mounts Bay and a-week capability – on the flight-
gin distillery. Aviation Support Force (MASF)
Largs Bay went through before
deck, in the dock, on the vehicle
But enough is enough, the time at Culdrose
being accepted
deck and container deck.”
has come for the Roh yal Marines to and a Sea King Perhaps most serious, the
into service.
beard the lion in his den – as dab wn HAS6(CR)
devastating mortar attack
He knows
breaks,b the rebels of Scraesdon from CHF.
on the gin distillery.
what these ships
B
ut in conflict, that is what
would happen to a Bay class.
These ships will become a
Fort will be overcome. Fortunately
are capable of,
melting pot of different creeds and
For someone on the outside, the people of
and what they
cultures, and getting the mix right
the scenart ios set up by the staff Brownia (Devon) and Ginger
should be capable of. And during
is key to success.
of Flag Officer Sea Training are (Cornwall) remain oblivious to
South-West Leopard, RFA Lyme
“It’s not a science,” said Lt
rar ther entertaining. the dramas being played out at
Bay has proven that capability.
Col Paul, “merely a question of
For the people on the inside, sea before them. (Well, except
There’s a recognition by every-
identifying who you need, where
the FOST challenges are no joke,t for the man in the luxury cruiser
one on board – RFA, FOST, aug-
that body’s going to go, and what
demanding a huge amount from
who complained about the land-
mentees – that Lyme Bay could
experience and training should he
a large ship with a small ship’s
ing craft going past at 2am...) not do what is demanded of it as have to fill that particular role.”
company of Royal Fleet Auxiliary
an amphibious ship without the Capt Rimell knows all too
men and women.
extra bodies on board. well what his ship is capable of:
But Capt Kevin Rimell RFA is
The fact is these lean-manned “Everything the LPD can do,
still smiling, despite a lack of sleep A
s ever, these exercises call
upon a huge body of FOST
examiners, rolling on and ships do not have the person- these ships can do. But not as
from a punishing routine. He said:
off the ship as the tasks demand. nel that a ship like Albion and much. Ultimately we’re limited by
“The RFA has always been able But it’s a small team from Bulwark can call upon. manpower.”
to respond to whatever is asked FOST that has been heading Lt Cdr Spurdle explained: “For So for the exercise Lt Col Paul
of them. Our strength is our flex- up the months of planning and example, on an LPD there are at has called in the manpower need-
ibility and with ships like this, it’s preparation that have gone into least two people for the role that ed from across the military, calling
our versatility. the amphibious exercise – Lt Col the Chief Officer does on here, upon expertise from HMS Ocean,
● Above: damage control and fi refi ghting under FOST’s eyes ● RFA Lyme Bay at a buoy outside Plymouth
Pictures: LA(Phot) Steve Johncock
0014-016_NN_aug08.indd 114-016_NN_aug08.indd 1 110/7/08 17:26:020/7/08 17:26:02
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