Sailors on board a Royal Navy warship for the festive season are being kept on their toes as they knuckle down to a five¬month stint in the Indian Ocean and Middle East.
Devonport based frigate HMS Northumberland has recently taken over from her sister ship HMS Sutherland as one of two British frigates patrolling the waters east of Suez to keep them clear of illegal smuggling, pirating and people trafficking.
“Northumberland will be in theatre for five months and during this time we will continue to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to building and preserving safer seas for trade and communications, and denying their use to those who would threaten security in the region,” said Commander Paddy Dowsett, HMS Northumberland’s Commanding Officer.
Following their first fortnight in theatre, the ship’s company have been routinely exercising their skills.
This includes taking part in night gunnery exercises with the minigun which can fire up to 6,000 rounds a minute at targets up to about half a mile away – important drills because a foe isn’t necessarily going to attack in broad daylight.
They also linked up with the Canadian frigate HMCS Regina – which is roughly the same age and size as the Type 23 – which saw Northumberland’s CO and his officers and ratings pay an informal visit to the Commonwealth allies.
Training also included lots of boat drills to keep the boarding team – made up of Royal Navy and specialist Royal Marines personnel – at the top of their game; stopping and searching suspicious vessels, using Northumberland’s two 40kt sea boats and her Merlin to deploy the boarders.
Personnel below decks were also given the opportunity to practise their skills with lots of machinery drills to train engineers and keep their knowledge fresh.
As well as work, the sailors found time to play with three dozen sailors donning the strips of the clubs they support from Premiership giants such as Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United to the less glamorous such as Hereford and Boston.
They gathered in front of Northumberland’s main ‘Kryten’ 4.5in gun for a snapshot which was sent back to the headquarters of Sky Sports in south¬west London for the Soccer AM show, championing supporters of British football teams across the world.
HMS Northumberland is now due to take part in training with the Royal Omani Air Force.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, December 11, 2012; Image: Royal Navy