As the Royal Navy and Royal Marines departed on the largest ever maritime NATO exercise, the catering department on HMS Bulwark stocked up on fresh supplies from Scotland for the three week trip.
As well as items such as newspapers for the sailors to read on board, the bulk of the resupply was a consignment of 1,813 litres of fresh and UHT milk – brought over to the ship by Royal Marine landing craft.
Usually used to quickly launch Commandos into hostile terrain off the back of a ship, the landing craft are usually filled top-to-toe with men, weapons and kit.
Yet this time the vessels transported the caterers to collect milk from Carnoustie on the east coast of Scotland in preparation for the three week exercise.
Exercise Joint Warrior is a bi-annual exercise which aims to test the Response Force Task Group which is designed to react to rapidly unfolding world events.
This year the exercise involves more than 12,000 personnel from across the UK, Netherlands, Canada, France, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Germany.
It will see more than 40 warships, 40 fixed-wing aircraft and 30 helicopters from across the participating European countries take part off the East and West coast of Scotland.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 16, 2013; Image: Royal Navy