The engineering team on board the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Protector has been recognised for their hard work over the past year.
The department has been presented with the 2012 Fleet Engineering Excellence award by Commodore Ian Shipperley, Assistant Chief of Staff for Surface Ships and Submarines for consistently demonstrating engineering excellence over a prolonged period of a demanding operational programme.
This work was achieved while under pressure for the ship to leave on time from Portsmouth to meet the Austral Summer deployment window.
HMS Protector’s Engineer Officer 2 Lieutenant Russ Scott said:
“The achievement of this award is down to the teamwork of all members of the Engineering Department. Their hard work has enabled the ship to maintain the delivery of Operational Capability through a very challenging first two years of Naval Service”
Surface Flotilla Effectiveness Trophies are awarded annually to ships or other units in recognition of achievement of excellence.
Awards are presented based on the operational achievement of the winning platform concentrating on overall capability to increase the competition and number of potential nominees. Normally awarded by particular class there are a small number of discipline based awards also available.
The Fleet Engineering Excellence Award (Surface), sponsored by Chief Naval Engineer Officer, is awarded to the Engineering team or individual, ashore or afloat, considered to have made the largest single contribution to the effectiveness of Engineering.
HMS Protector returned from a nine-month deployment to Antarctica on May 10 where she provided direct support to a UK-led multi-national Antarctic Treaty Inspection team; landed and recovered British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists at ecologically important sites; assisted with ongoing environmental and conservation work including hosting an international team updating the visitor guidelines for regularly visited sites and surveyed the poorly charted waters around the Antarctic Peninsula
Her multi-beam echo sounder and Survey Motor Boat also provided hi-tech hydrographic charting and imagery used to improve the navigational awareness and safety of other ships and mariners operating in the area.
[mappress]
Press Release, May 16, 2013