Military leaders of the future have been treated to an exciting demonstration of Royal Naval amphibious power off the South West coast. The Plymouth-based command and control landing ship HMS Bulwark exercised off Devon and Cornwall with Royal Marines in fast boats and landing craft while helicopters of the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm added an aerial dimension to realistic dynamic scenarios based on current worldwide Royal Naval operations.
The small task force enacted the interception and boarding of a ‘suspect’ hostile vessel and followed this with demonstrations of simulated battle damage repair, live thunderous naval gunfire and the technically demanding practice of refuelling between ships at sea while on the move.
Captain Andrew Burns, Commanding Officer of HMS Bulwark , said:
“This has provided a good opportunity to show other services and International students what we can do.
“Many of the UK officers from the other services would not have been to sea before. It’s a fantastic chance to build good relations with other nations who may be working with us in the future.
“We are showing the flexibility of the Rapid Force Task Group which could be on contingency tasking anywhere across the globe.
“We will be exercising this capability later this year on Exercise Cougar 2013 in the Mediterranean and East of Suez.’’
Complementing the action-packed day were static displays on board HMS Bulwark of helicopters and boats, experts were on hand for the students to question on their roles.
Staff College Sea Days takes officers from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, RAF and Army to sea to experience the impressive power of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in action.
The students will also have similar chances to witness the RAF and Army in similar demonstrations.
The course has a number of international students from counties as far afield as China to the United States and from Afghanistan to Brazil.
Commodore Toby Williamson, Senior Officer Joint Services Command and Staff Course , said:
“With up to 300 students from countries across the world as well as the three services, it makes this course rewarding and diverse.
“A successful student from a few years ago from China, has recently taken command of his country’s first aircraft carrier.”
Among the South West Royal Naval units taking part was a Merlin of 814 Naval Air Squadron from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.
The squadron is at high readiness, tasked with flying from ships and/or air bases around the world to provide protection to the Fleet from surface and sub-surface threats, or support maritime security operations.
Lynx helicopters, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset, demonstrated their flying agility as an anti-ship and anti-submarine aircraft based on warships deployed worldwide on patrols such as the crucial role policing the trade routes in the Middle East.
Helicopters give warship captains an ‘eye-in-the-sky’ to extend the surveillance range of the ship by hundreds of miles.
The Fleet Protection Group of Royal Marines, from HM Naval Base Clyde, Scotland, provided HMS Bulwark with the agile protection of a fleet of small craft and armed commandos.
The unit is deployed to warships on patrol worldwide in case of waterborne threats, the unit also protects the submarine-based nuclear deterrent.
539 Commando base at Royal Marine Turnchapel, Plymouth, provided the highly manoeuvrable fast off-shore raiding craft for boarding demonstration.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, February 13, 2013; Image: Royal Navy