Nearly two years after British military personnel helped rebuild it, Royal Navy support ship RFA Mounts Bay has returned to the British Virgin Islands capital of Tortola. The airmen of 211 Flight, who fly the Royal Navy’s Wildcat helicopter, dropped in on Road Town, Tortola, as part of a fact-finding mission to prepare themselves and their ship for the hurricane season which … [Read more...]
New Governor and Commander-in-Chief arrives in Gibraltar
The new Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB, CBE, has arrived in Gibraltar onboard RFA Mounts Bay. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo greeted His Excellency and Mrs Lorraine Davis as they disembarked RFA Mounts Bay and set foot on Gibraltar soil after sailing across from Tangiers. To formally mark his arrival soldiers from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment … [Read more...]
Royal Navy concludes bilateral exercise with Omani forces
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group, currently deployed on Cougar 13, has successfully completed a six day exercise, Omani Cougar, with the Royal Omani Armed Forces. The maritime exercise tested the full integration of the Royal Navy and Royal Navy of Oman by conducting conventional maritime warfare serials, as well as amphibious training with Royal Marines from 42 … [Read more...]
Royal Navy sails for Annual Cougar Deployment
Thousands of Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel sailed (Monday 12th August) for an annual deployment to the Mediterranean and Gulf region - Cougar ’13. The long-planned deployment will see elements of the UK’s Response Force Task Group (RFTG) – the naval force formed under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review – hone its world class maritime … [Read more...]
UK and France join forces in the Mediterranean
British and French naval forces have met up in the Mediterranean for the first time today – kicking off the start of a joint amphibious and carrier strike exercise called Corsican Lion. More than 3000 British sailors, marines and airmen onboard HMS Bulwark, HMS Illustrious, HMS Montrose, HMS Northumberland and RFA Mounts Bay have joined their French military counterparts – … [Read more...]
Falklands veterans reunited during Olympic security operation
A naval chef and a Royal Naval senior officer on Olympics duty in Dorset were reunited more than 30 years after meeting during the Falklands conflict. Commodore James Miller, Naval Regional Commander for Wales and Western England, and Chief Petty Officer Cook Martin Etwell, of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay, which has been supporting the Olympic sailing security operation … [Read more...]
Royal Navy amphibious force sails for Norway
An amphibious task group of ships and Royal Marines sailed from Plymouth yesterday (Monday 8th) for extreme cold weather training. HMS Albion, the fleet high-readiness amphibious flagship, leads the task group to take part in Exercise Cold Response in Norway. The 18,500 ton assault ship sailed at midday with staff from Commander Amphibious Task Group and 3 Commando Brigade … [Read more...]
Royal Navy amphibious exercise in South West
A foggy grey Cornish afternoon was the setting for the first landings of an amphibious exercise off the South West coast involving Devon ships and Royal Marines. Exercise South West Sword is designed to test Plymouth-based assault ship HMS Albion's capabilities as the amphibious flagship and started at Pentewan Sands in Cornwall yesterday. Over the next few days there … [Read more...]