UK: HMS Tyne Goes to Tyne Festival, Opens for Public

Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne will go alongside Northumbrian Quay in North Shields this Friday for the start of a four-day whistlestop visit to her affiliate region.

She is visiting in support of the seventh annual Mouth of the Tyne Festival and is very much looking forward to representing the Royal Navy at the event. The ship’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Will Peters, will host several receptions on board the ship for local and regional dignitaries, to cement the special relationship that exists between the ship and her adopted area.

The Mouth of the Tyne Festival concert on Friday night is expected to draw a large number of visitors – including Lt Cdr Peters – to see headline acts such as Beverley Knight and pop sensation Alexandra Burke, as well as chart-topping band Scouting for Girls.

On Saturday, the ship will host a number of visits from local cadet organisations – including TS Whitley Bay and TS Rodney (Gosforth) – before the ship’s official reception in the evening.

On Sunday, members of the ship’s company will participate in Lord Mayor Linda Arkley’s Pageant Walk, from the Priory School to Tynemouth Front Street departing from the school shortly after 11am. But the highlight of the visit will be when crew throw down the gangway for the public to go aboard.

Short tours of the ship, from 10am until 5pm, will offer Tynesiders a unique insight into life in the Royal Navy, as well as the career opportunities that are available.

Lt Cdr Peters said:

“We are always assured a warm welcome when we sail up the River Tyne and it is an area we are thoroughly familiar with in an operational capacity.”

“I really do hope as many local people as possible can come along to the ship and have a look around. I know my crew are looking forward to showing them around this highly capable ship.”

On Monday, further cadet and affiliated youth organisations will visit the ship, including students from the Hadrian School and St Catherine’s School, before the ship will slip her berth around 10am on Monday to return to sea.

The Chairman of North Tyneside Councillor John Stirling said,

“It’s always a pleasure to see the Royal Navy at these events and we are looking forward to seeing HMS Tyne berthed at North Tyneside, at the mouth of the Tyne.”

“Not surprising, really… it is after all the Mouth of the Tyne Festival”.

HMS Tyne is the first of a batch of three River Class Offshore Patrol vessels operated by the Royal Navy.

Built by Vosper Thorneycroft, she entered service with the Royal Navy in 2003. Part of a new breed of warships built under a Private Finance Initiative, the RN leases TYNE from BAE Systems, who provide logistics and maintenance support.

This provides excellent value for money and ensures the RN maintains modern, capable, flexible ships to act as a force for good around the coastal waters of the UK.

Along with sister ships Mersey and Severn, HMS Tyne forms the backbone of the Fishery Protection Squadron, the oldest Squadron in the Royal Navy, which patrol English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters, enforcing EU and UK legislation designed to ensure the sustainability of fish stocks for the future.

HMS Tyne spends 320 days at sea each year, whatever the weather, policing over 80,000 square miles of sea, up to 200 miles off the coast of the UK.

HMS Tyne employs two water jet propelled Rigid Inflatable Boats capable of more than 32 knots and several of the ship’s officers, including the captain, are qualified as British Sea Fisheries Officers (BSFOs) and Marine Enforcement Officers (MEOs). The ship operates 24 hours per day and can conduct several boardings simultaneously.

Tyne is a highly flexible unit with the ability to fulfil a number of defence objectives. The sheer number of days spent at sea in UK waters places her at high readiness for Search and Rescue operations or assistance to HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency.

Alongside her fishery protection duties, HMS Tyne undertakes maritime security, keeping a watchful eye for unusual or illicit activity. A large deck and crane allows the ship to be adapted for a number of other tasks including disaster relief, anti-pollution and salvage operations.

To enable maximum time at sea each year, Tyne operates a three-watch manning system. This means that while two watches are on board at sea, a third watch will be ashore either attending courses or enjoying well-earned leave.

The ship has a mixed male and female complement of 46, divided into four departments: Warfare –navigation, sea boat operations, gunnery and communications; Logistics – provisions, stores, food preparation and administration; Marine Engineering – maintaining the propulsion and power generation systems, the hull, water and sanitation systems; Weapon Engineering –maintaining the weapons, radars, sensors and communications equipment.
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Source: royalnavy, July 8, 2011