40 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008
Picture: LA(Phot) Owen King● AB(AWFP)1 James Spark, of Plymouth reserve unit HMS Vivid keeps watch near the brow of HMS Portland last summer
Reserves to the fore
AS PART of the Operation Telic 1 force profile in 2003,
more than 100 ratings from the Royal Naval Reserve
were mobilised and ‘surge-trained’ to provide force
protection teams for ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
and chartered shipping deployed to the North Arabian
Gulf.
As the operation moved
into phase two, these
By Cdr Geoff
numbers were reduced to 50,
and through to April 2004
Bewley RNR,
five teams provided mobile
SO1 Force
protection teams for RFAs
and occasionally Royal Navy
Protection and
warships in refit in Singapore
Mine Warfare
and in areas of the world
where the threat against a
the fleet tanker and ships visiting
possible USS Cole-style the theatre.
attack was considered high. This initial deployment
USS Cole was damaged by two was very successful and now
suicide bombers using a small the commitment has become
boat to attack the destroyer while an enduring one with a rolling
she refuelled in Aden in October roulement of AWFP personnel
2000. The blast killed 17 sailors maintaining a cadre of 36 force
and injured another 47. protection ratings who work
● A Royal Navy Hawk makes a mid-air rendezvous with a British Airways Airbus – both aircraft types are fl own by members of the Air Branch
When security experts
alongside their RM colleagues.
of the Royal Naval Reserve Picture: LA(Phot) Billy Bunting
assessed that the threat
The Commanding Officer of
to British military and
FPGRM has said of the reservist
chartered shipping in the
teams embedded with his group
region had reduced, the
that they have become an integral
teams were demobilised
part of his force package, which
From hot air to Harriers
and ten volunteers moved
gives him options and flexibility
to the RN Board and Search
to meet his tasking, and he is
teams being deployed to
confident that his regular teams
THE Air Branch of the RNR is and transporting them back to around the country, including
Iraq as part of the security
could be augmented on a selective
in essence the reserve in support Yeovilton, releasing serving aircraft Farnborough and the Royal
training teams for Iraqi
basis by RNR ratings to meet a
of the Fleet Air Arm, writes Cdr engineers to serve in theatre; International Air Tattoo;
forces.
tailored force requirement.
Operating from HM Naval
Andy Ormshaw RNR, SO1 RNR Air Branch Lynx aircrew An Air Branch Sea King expert marina marina
Two reservists were in the team Base Clyde at Faslane, the teams
Air Branch. have comprised 50 per cent is on mobilised service flying the
that was captured and detained are transported into theatre by air
Comprised purely of ex-regular of the RN team working with ASaC Sea King Mk7 on operations
by the Iranians in the summer and have provided security to both
FAA personnel, they perform Augusta Westlands/BAE Systems in the Gulf;
of 2004. RFA and Fleet units.
countless operations on a daily developing the Future Lynx RNR Air Branch has been marina
The experience of Telic led to And when the fourth
basis in support of the regulars. helicopter; providing Hawk pilots for close
the formation of the RNR General mobilisation of AWFP ratings
Most of the Air Branch reservists Following a break of three years, air support training for Army pre-marina
Service Seaman (Reserve) branch, is called out to begin training
are employed in the aviation the RNR Air Branch have been deployment operating on Salisbury
which was refined in 2006 to next month, that will bring the
industry, some with pretty high given clearance to resume flying Plain training area;
become solely trained to provide total number of RNR ratings who
powered jobs and responsibilities.
in the air and on the ground, and
the Harrier aircraft; The Air Branch flies the ‘Fly marina
force protection and renamed have been employed in the force
In civilian life, for example,
has photographers to record the
marina It is vitally important to the RN Navy’ hot-air balloon at air shows
Above Water Force Protection protection role since Telic 1 to
Andy is the Air Traffic and Safety
whole operation for posterity.
to retain the core skills required and festivals around the country.
(AWFP). more than 225.
Services Manager at Leeds
Many Air Branch people are
to fly fast jets at sea, ready for the If you see a huge balloon with
With concurrent operations As well as routine training with
Bradford International Airport.
experienced instructors and
introduction of the Navy’s two big Fly Navy on it – it’s ours!
in Afghanistan and Iraq creating the service rifle and personal
The wealth of experience
contribute to the delivery of
new aircraft carriers in 2012; The Air Branch has recently
stretch in the Royal Marine protection equipment during
available ranging through aircrew,
training in all areas of the FAA.
The Branch is providing undergone a thorough review of marina
capability, in September 2007 pre-deployment training, AWFP
operations, air traffic control and air
The sheer width of the Air
qualified instructors to train front- how it provides support to the
three teams, consisting of 36 ratings are trained to fire the
traffic management, engineering,
Branch participation cannot easily
line commando helicopter aircrew front line.
AWFP ratings, were mobilised General Purpose Machine Gun
meteorology, safety management
be summarised briefly, but to give
on 848 NAS, and basic flying There have been changes to the
and embedded with the Force (GPMG) and Mk 44 minigun, and quality management covers
a flavour of some of their activity,
training at the Defence Elementary way we do our business in order
Protection Group Royal Marines with an intensive period of all the technical and operational
here is a snapshot of the last six
Flying Training Squadron at RAF for us to give the Fleet Air Arm
(FPGRM) in Faslane. assessment by Flag Officer Sea aspects required to project air
weeks or so:
Barkston Heath; the support it requires. What has
They were given the primary Training staff culminating in live power from the sea.
marina A team of highly skilled engineers marina One of the ‘Navy Hawk’ flying not and will not change though is
task of protecting the security of firing exercises both day and In effect the Branch can service
routinely travel to RAF Brize display team for this season is an the enthusiasm for the task, the
the on-task RFA in the North night before being passed as fit and fly aircraft, provide Met Norton to receive helicopters flown Air Branch commander. commitment to the RN and the
Arabian Gulf (NAG), with for service with the Royals of forecasting and airfield operations back from operational theatres for He will be displaying the Hawk wealth of aviation experience we
additional tasking as required for FPGRM. services, control and handle them repair and maintenance, preparing on behalf of the RN at air shows bring to the table.
0040_NN_aug.indd 140_NN_aug.indd 1 111/7/08 10:33:331/7/08 10:33:33
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