Navy News

The following news feed is published with permission from the navynews.co.uk website. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fleet Air Arm Officers Association.

Heroes over Helmand for last time - 847 NAS complete Afghan mission

21 May - 11:54 The final tour of duty in Afghanistan by the Commando Helicopter Force fliers of 847 Naval Air Squadron ends tomorrow when they return to Yeovilton. The Lynx men and women have completed their fourth and final stint in Helmand, providing cover for air and ground forces since January.

First Navy pilot gives glowing feedback of ‘unrivalled’ next-generation fighter

21 May - 07:42 The Navy’s first pilot of its next-generation jump jet says it will give the nation’s future carriers “unrivalled” striking power. After a month flying the F35 Lightning II – the most advanced stealth fighter in the world – Lt Cdr Ian Tidball has given the aircraft a glowing testimonial.

Portland receives a warm hometown reception

20 May - 17:02 HMS Portland visited her namesake town for the first time in three years, allowing her sailors to exercise the Freedom of the Borough. The Devonport-based frigate spent four days in the port, showing locals what the ship can do and making the most of Dorsetshire hospitality.

Merchant sacrifices remembered in Atlantic commemorations in Liverpool

20 May - 12:23 Princess Anne will honour the merchant sailors who lost their lives in Britain’s longest and most bitter 20th-Century naval struggle this weekend. Accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Commissioner of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, she will lay a wreath at the Liverpool Naval Memorial to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Specialist RN divers keep Gulf port safe during major mine exercise

20 May - 09:57 British and Dutch divers are working side-by-side in the warm, salty waters of Bahrain port as part of a major Gulf exercise dealing with the threat of mines.
The men of Fleet Diving Unit 3 are the Royal Navy's specialist shallow water divers, experts in keeping ports and harbours free of mines.

Royal Marines feel ‘massive pride’ marching through Taunton as Afghan mission ends

17 May - 09:39 Around 15,000 people lined the streets of Taunton to applaud the 700 men of 40 Commando as the Royal Marines completed their dozen-year campaign in Afghanistan. The parade through the Somerset town was followed by a medals presentation back at base in Norton Manor Camp, where the Duke of Edinburgh was guest of honour.

Montrose delivers a grand slam by unleashing every weapon aboard

17 May - 08:10 Every weapon aboard HMS Montrose was unleashed as the frigate laid on an impressive week-long demonstration of firepower. Missiles, guns, torpedoes and decoys were all loosed by the Plymouth-based warship – a display of total firepower known in the Royal Navy as a ‘grand slam’.

Major Royal Navy presence at massive minehunting exercise in Gulf

16 May - 12:27 Six British ships and more than 600 sailors are involved in the biggest mine warfare exercise ever staged, currently running in the Gulf. Over 40 nations have committed divers, helicopters, robot submarines and nearly three dozen ships to IMCMEX - International Mine Counter-Measures EXercise - which runs for two weeks in the lower Gulf.

Protector completes her second Antarctic mission

10 May - 13:49 HMS Protector completed an eight-month survey and scientific mission around Antarctica when she returned to a very blustery Portsmouth today. The distinctive red and white icebreaker carried out three survey stints around the frozen continent, plus one in and around the remote island of South Georgia in support of ecological and scientific research.

Queen Elizabeth’s second island rolled out as carrier nears outward completion

10 May - 12:32 Another giant piece of the jigsaw that is the Navy’s future carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is finished with her aft island rolled out of the construction shed. The second of two islands on the 65,000-tonne leviathan, the aft one will control flight deck operations by her F35 jets, Merlin helicopters and other aircraft.

Monmouth flies the flag for Armed Forces Day with 50 days to go

10 May - 08:42 The crew of HMS Monmouth have been showing their support for this year’s Armed Forces Day – just 50 days away now. The sailors and Royal Marines, who return to Plymouth next Friday after seven months away, have been flying the event’s standard all over the frigate to help raise interest in the June 29 celebration of Servicemen and women past and present.

Northumberland’s Merlin fliers return after seven-month pirate-busting mission

09 May - 14:41 Seven months of pirate-busting in the Indian Ocean are over for 14 air and ground crew of 829 Naval Air Squadron as they fly home to Culdorse. 05 Flight flew more 150 missions from frigate HMS Northumberland and thwarted drug runners delivering over £5m cannabis when their Merlin helicopter intercepted two fast boats.

Defender champions best of British at massive maritime festival in Hamburg

09 May - 10:07 Upwards of 1½ million people will see new destroyer HMS Defender over the next three days as she joins the world’s largest harbour festival. The destroyer sailed up the Elbe to Hamburg to take part in the 824th ‘birthday’ of the great port – a celebration of the sea, plus maritime culture, food and music.

Edinburgh begins her goodbye tour in London

08 May - 15:36 HMS Edinburgh has arrived in the capital on the first leg of her farewell tour of the UK as the Royal Navy’s last Type 42 destroyer. She’s joined HMS Illustrious and Blyth in London for Battle of the Atlantic commemorations this week, before continuing on to the Scottish capital, then Liverpool during a three-week-long goodbye.

Ambush links up with support ship as she takes another step towards front-line operations

08 May - 11:26 New hunter-killer submarine HMS Ambush mastered the art of berthing next to a support ship during trials with RFA Diligence in the safe waters of her home base. Ambush spent two days next to Diligence in Gare Loch in a manoeuvre known as ‘rafting up’ – vital for sustaining submarine operations around the globe.

Harpoon nails its target as Montrose fires first anti-ship missile in a decade

08 May - 08:43 For the first time in nearly a decade a live Harpoon anti-ship missile has been fired by a Royal Navy warship. Plymouth-based frigate HMS Montrose launched the sea-skimming weapon at a specially-designed target off the north-west coast of Scotland.

Trio of Royal Navy warships sail to London for Battle of the Atlantic commemorations

03 May - 10:47 Three Royal Navy warships will sail up the Thames next week as part of a six-day visit to London to begin three weeks of Battle of the Atlantic commemorations across the UK. Minehunter HMS Blyth and veteran destroyer HMS Edinburgh – paying her final visit to the capital – will arrive in the Pool of London on Tuesday, followed the next day by HMS Illustrious mooring mid-river at Greenwich.

Royal honour for Dartmouth as 100 new officers join the Navy

02 May - 16:11 Leaders of yesterday and tomorrow were honoured at the spiritual home of the Royal Navy’s Officer Corps when the Duke of York visited Dartmouth. The Falklands veteran was guest of honour at Lord High Admiral’s Divisions – one of the highlights in the calendar at Britannia Royal Naval College.

Raleigh return to the beaches to learn lessons of D-Day

01 May - 16:02 Sailors and Royal Marines from HMS Raleigh headed to the beaches and hedgerows of Normandy to learn about the greatest invasion in history – and pay their respects to their forebears. Two dozen personnel from the Torpoint establishment – mostly instructors at the Military Training Unit, which teaches sailors to use small arms – spent three days revisiting sites carved into the annals of history 69 years ago.

Enterprise enjoys rare birds and – rare dukes – in the Red Sea

30 April - 15:34 There were rare sights to enjoy for the ship’s company of HMS Enterprise as they continued their survey work in the Red Sea. A lanner falcon has made its home (temporarily) on board, and the ship also caught up with frigate HMS Monmouth for the first time since 2011.

Montrose locks horns with two submarines off Scotland

30 April - 14:34 Submarine hunter HMS Montrose tested her mettle against two diesel boats off the west coast of Scotland. The Devonport frigate, plus destroyer HMS Diamond and two Dutch warships locked horns with submarines during Exercise Coqcfight.

Dragon likes Ike as destroyer joins forces with Eisenhower carrier group

29 April - 12:58 HMS Dragon has begun her Gulf deployment in earnest – by slipping into the world’s most powerful naval task force: a US Navy Carrier Strike Group. The Portsmouth-based destroyer joined the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and took part in an impressive five-way refuelling and resupply operation played out in searing temperatures.

Escorts thwart U-boat attacks but German subs sink freighter

29 April - 09:48 Royal Navy escorts thwarted half a dozen attacks by four U-boats in the North Atlantic last night around 250 miles south of Iceland. But the Germans struck back this morning, torpedoing an American merchantmen as the battle for Convoy ONS5 begins.

Illustrious turns green on visit to Dublin

29 April - 08:32 Helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious was bathed in green to celebrate her visit to Dublin after completing exercises in Scotland. Lusty sailed into Dublin – and the Irish capital was in party mood as part of a year-long celebration of Emerald Isle culture, the Gathering.

Dragon be here – and Monmouth be gone as warships trade places in the Gulf

24 April - 12:33 HMS Monmouth is heading home – and HMS Dragon has taken place as frigate and destroyer traded places on Gulf duties for the Royal Navy. The Black Duke has been away from Plymouth since October, while the Type 45 destroyer sailed from Portsmouth last month ready to begin her six-month stint east of Suez keeping piracy, smuggling, and terrorism in check.

Divers unveil 21st-Century Cutlass to deal with terrorist bomb threat

23 April - 16:19 Royal Navy clearance divers demonstrated the latest weapon in their arsenal to deal with the terrorist threat: a £1m bomb disposal robot. The team at Southern Diving Unit 1 in Plymouth neutralised a replica car bomb using the new device, known as ‘Cutlass’.

Naval duo become the first men to fully recreate explorer’s legendary Antarctic rescue mission

29 April - 09:00 A Royal Marine and petty officer have successfully recreated the rescue mission of legendary Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton – using the same equipment as he did a century ago. The pair – WO2 Baz Gray and PO Seb Coulthard – were part of a six-strong team who sailed from the edge of Antarctica to South Georgia, then crossed the island’s mountains, the first men to complete the full journey since Shackleton himself.

Junior commando leaders tested to the limit

23 April - 09:30 Would-be Royal Marines corporals have come through a gruelling 11-week course in Devon and Wales, culminating in an eight-day final all-action exercise. The commandos need between 250 and 300 fresh corporals each year and puts the best candidates from across the Corps through the demanding Junior Command Course.

Convoy sails to run U-boat gauntlet

22 April - 14:51 A convoy of nearly four dozen merchant ships protected by nearly 20 Royal Navy warships has sailed for the New World – running the gauntlet of more than 100 U-boats. This is the first of several historical articles following the progress of Convoy ONS5 – the definitive clash at the Battle of the Atlantic reached its climax in May 1943.

RN task force fends off ‘epic’ swarm attack from fast boats in latest stage of Joint Warrior exercise

22 April - 11:53 The latest phase of the biggest war games in North-West Europe this year – Exercise Joint Warrior – saw the might of international warships pitted against jetskis, fast boats and tugs to see if they could fend off a massed attack by small, agile, rapidly-moving boats. The force – including the Royal Navy’s flagship Bulwark, Illustrious, Diamond and Westminster – faced swarms of persistent attacks in the Firth of Clyde.

Flagship Bulwark hosts Navy seal during Scottish war games

15 April - 13:46 A Navy seal joined Britain’s flagship on exercises off the Scottish coast – and flapped about a bit. The creature sailed into HMS Bulwark’s loading dock while the assault ship was taking part in amphibious exercises near Carnoustie and stayed aboard for about half an hour.

Dragon uses Crete visit to sharpen her claws

15 April - 11:11 HMS Dragon used the natural beauty and military ranges on Crete to sharpen her claws ready for tackling pirates and terrorists in the Indian Ocean and Gulf. The destroyer checked her sensors, her Royal Marines trained with Greek forces, and her Lynx helicopter experienced challenging conditions flying around the mountains.

Top Gear team send thank-you message to Victorious submariners

11 April - 14:54 The presenters of Britain's most popular car show have sent a thank-you video message to the crew of HMS Victorious, who've just completed a milestone patrol. Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond filmed a 90-second video for the submarine crew after filming their two-part Africa special.

Astutes on the cusp of front-line duties says Britain’s second most senior sailor

11 April - 08:27 Both of Britain’s next-generation hunter-killer submarines will deploy on front-line operations within the next 12 months. After years of trials and tests HMS Astute will be ready for action before the end of the year, followed by her sister Ambush early in 2014, says the Navy’s second most senior officer, Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Philip Jones.

Echo helps launch impending Battle of Atlantic events in Liverpool

10 April - 13:27 Battle of the Atlantic veterans joined HMS Echo to help the Royal Navy launch this spring’s commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the U-boat. Echo sailed into Liverpool, which will host five days of events at the end of May, the climax of a month of commemorations around the UK.

New head of the Royal Navy takes charge after emotional ceremony on HMS Victory

09 April - 17:42 The 43-year Naval career of Britain’s most senior sailor, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, concluded today as he handed over to his successor after nearly four years at the helm. Admiral Stanhope said it had been “a privilege to serve with and an honour to lead” the Royal Navy, which is now headed by Admiral Sir George Zambellas.

Monmouth lays on action-packed show for Gulf’s future military leaders

08 April - 11:00 The sailors and Royal Marines of HMS Monmouth laid on an all-action series of demonstrations to future military leaders in the Gulf. The Devonport-based frigate hosted students and instructors from the Kuwaiti Staff College to show the importance of sea power in preserving peace and security on the oceans.

Prime Minister thanks Victorious as submarine completes milestone nuclear deterrence patrol

05 April - 08:49 Prime Minister David Cameron thanked the men of the Royal Navy’s ‘bomber’ force – and the families and naval base workers who support them – as HMS Victorious completed the 100th V-boat patrol. The premier joined the 16,000-tonne leviathan when she returned to Faslane yesterday – as NATO praised the role the Silent Service had performed for 45 years helping to maintain peace with its deterrence patrols.

Dragon and Kent pay lightning visits to the Rock

04 April - 12:52 The waters of Gibraltar were churned up by first HMS Dragon and then HMS Kent as the two Portsmouth-based warships paid whistle-stop visits to the Rock and patrolled the territory’s waters before heading east. Dragon had just 22 hours alongside in the Mediterranean base as she took on supplies for her Gulf mission, followed shortly afterwards by Kent which did likewise – and also hosted her first commanding officer.

Navy’s final prototype F35 fighter makes airborne debut

08 April - 10:18 The third and final of the Navy’s prototype next-generation jump jets has taken to the skies of Texas for the first time. ZM137 will be used to train pilots and maintainers to fly, fight and look after the F35 Lightning II, the stealth fighter which will provide the punch of the RN’s new aircraft carriers.

Scott home after mapping the seabed ‘three times the size of Devon’

03 April - 16:10 HMS Scott today sailed into a sunny but cold Plymouth after three months east of Suez scanning the seabed. Since leaving home just before Christmas, the large hydrographic vessel has surveyed an area almost three times the size of her native Devon.

Clyde gives Falklands troops a taste of life at sea

03 April - 13:53 Falklands-based soldiers and airmen were treated to three days aboard the islands’ patrol vessel, HMS Clyde. The sailors gave their guests the full Royal Navy experience – firefighting, navigation, breakdown drills – while Nature treated them to the best (whale watching) and worst of the Falklands (rough seas).

Fort Victoria ready to be ‘in the thick of the action’ in war on piracy

28 March - 15:20 The biggest ship in the Naval Service, RFA Fort Victoria, will spend the next three months tackling the scourge of piracy in the Indian Ocean. The one-stop support ship will serve as the floating headquarters for an international task force keeping the sea lanes between the Middle East and Mediterranean open.

Edinburgh bows out of active service with emotional homecoming

28 March - 12:39 HMS Edinburgh completed her operational life – and that of all Type 42 destroyers – when she returned to Portsmouth today after six months away. The Fortress of the Sea was greeted by fine but cold weather – and hundreds of families and friends – after her final patrol of the Atlantic.

St Albans makes history as Navy’s main gun bows out after 40 years’ service

27 March - 12:03 HMS St Albans has shot her way into Naval history – bringing an end to 40 years of gunnery with the legendary 4.5in gun. For four decades the distinctive round Mod 0 gun – fitted to all Type 42 destroyers, Type 23 and later Type 22 frigates – has been the Fleet’s principal weapon against targets ashore.

Trenchant passes nine-month milestone on patrol

26 March - 10:06 The crew of hunter-killer submarine HMS Trenchant have passed the nine-month barrier on their marathon tour of duty in the Indian Ocean. The Plymouth-based boat has clocked up 277 days on patrol since leaving Devon last year, continually maintaining the UK’s submarine presence east of Suez.

Edinburgh honours Battle of the Atlantic victim in the grey wastes

25 March - 10:11 HMS Edinburgh has paid tribute to a wartime destroyer sunk off Greenland, the first act of commemoration by the Royal Navy to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. Edinburgh, home in Portsmouth on Thursday, held a service of remembrance and laid a wreath over the wreck of HMS Beverley, lost escorting a convoy in April 1943.

Echo helps French trawler rescue in a foul Irish Sea

25 March - 08:03 Survey ship HMS Echo helped to provide shelter from foul weather so a French fisherman could be winched to safety off the Welsh coast. Heavy seas meant neither the RNLI nor the RAF were able to get the sailor off the trawler Alf, so Echo helped shepherd the boat to calmer waters.

Medal campaign leader receives first Arctic Star

19 March - 13:23 Britain’s most senior military officer – Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards – today presented the very first Arctic Star to the former sailor who led the campaign for the belated wartime medal. 93-year-old Cdr Eddie Grenfell received the campaign medal in Portsmouth Guildhall as premier David Cameron presented awards to Russian convoy and Bomber Command veterans at No.10.

Dragon be gone… for the next seven months

19 March - 12:56 In brilliant late winter’s sunshine, HMS Dragon today left Portsmouth to begin her maiden deployment: a seven-month stint east of Suez stopping pirates, drug and people traffickers and terrorists using the high seas. She will also work with the UK’s and RN’s allies and partners in the region, building on the excellent work of frigate HMS Monmouth over the winter months.

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