La Armada presenta sus conceptos sobre la futura fragata F-110 | Infodefensa

La Armada presenta sus conceptos sobre la futura fragata F-110 | Infodefensa

The CVN 21 design features an enhanced flight deck with increased sortie rates, a redesigned island and a new nuclear power plant. - Image - Naval Technology

The CVN 21 design features an enhanced flight deck with increased sortie rates, a redesigned island and a new nuclear power plant. - Image - Naval Technology

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | HMS Protector battles through ice to retrieve scientists

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | HMS Protector battles through ice to retrieve scientists

HMS Protector battles through ice to retrieve scientists

A Military Operations news article

19 Mar 12

The Navy's Antarctic patrol ship has had to punch her way in and out of dangerous pack ice to pick up a research team.

HMS Protector off James Ross Island
[Picture: LA(Phot) Arron Hoare, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The Portsmouth-based survey ship had delivered a small geology team from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to remote James Ross Island, off the eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Sailors used her small work boat Terra Nova to carefully navigate the ice field and land the scientists with equipment, food and fuel to last 30 days in one of the world's bleakest locations.
While the scientists got to work, the weather and ice forecasts in the area began to worsen.
And so, after four days, the ship's command decided to pull the scientists out much earlier than planned. A change of wind meant there was a chance ice from the nearby Weddell Sea would be driven towards James Ross Island and potentially block HMS Protector in - like a cork in a bottle.

The bridge of HMS Protector with Captain Peter Sparkes at the helm during the ship's transit from James Ross Island through thick ice
[Picture: LA(Phot) Arron Hoare, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Protector's Commanding Officer, Captain Peter Sparkes, decided the safest and least risky option would be to sail through the increasing pack ice and send in the Terra Nova, the fast rescue craft Yelcho, and the inflatable boat Whiskey 1.
The scientists were collected with all their kit and were back aboard HMS Protector within 90 minutes of the first boat entering the water.
But now the ship had to fight her way out of the ice in the Erebus and Terror Gulf:

"Then the daunting task of breaking out of James Ross Island and into open water where the ice density was not as thick began in earnest," said Captain Sparkes.
"With very careful navigation and a cool head, our ship's company managed to break through some dense pack ice in the Erebus and Terror Gulf at night and into relatively safer waters."

HMS Protector's work boat the Terra Nova transferring personnel from the ship to James Ross Island
[Picture: LA(Phot) Arron Hoare, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Professor Mike Hambrey from Aberystwyth University, who's working in Antarctica with the BAS, said he was grateful for the help and glad they had been able to do some research.
He said:

"Unusually adverse ice conditions meant it had taken three attempts to get through to James Ross Island.
"We are grateful to the crew of HMS Protector for their persistence in eventually finding a way through the ice and although this left us with only four days on the island we achieved a lot in that time."

Having experienced some extremely challenging ice-breaking conditions, Protector has resumed her survey work around the frozen continent.

The Terra Nova landing British Antarctic Survey scientists and supporting personnel onto James Ross Island
[Picture: LA(Phot) Arron Hoare, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The incident last week came shortly after sailors from HMS Protector fought a major fire at a research station which claimed the lives of two Brazilians.
Twenty-three sailors from Protector with firefighting equipment took over four hours to extinguish the blaze at Brazil's Ferraz research station.
The Brazilian Government praised HMS Protector's crew for their assistance in the incident and invited British representatives to the memorial service for the two casualties.

Royal Navy HMS Bulwark lands commandos in the Arctic

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Training and Adventure | HMS Bulwark lands commandos in the Arctic
 

HMS Bulwark lands commandos in the Arctic

A Training and Adventure news article

16 Mar 12

HMS Bulwark has landed Royal Marines from 42 Commando on the shores of Norway for NATO's winter war games, Exercise Cold Response.

A Sea King helicopter approaches HMS Bulwark
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

As well as putting commandos onto the snow and shingle near the Norwegian port of Harstad, Bulwark landed their counterparts from the Netherlands and the USA, and equipment and vehicles, not least BV tracked vehicles (which are perfectly suited to operations in the Arctic), and the 'Beast' recovery vehicle - the Royal Marines' ultimate 'tractor' capable of shifting anything if it gets stuck on the shoreline.
Beyond serving as the UK's flagship, Devonport-based assault ship Bulwark is the lead ship for Cold Response, a Norwegian-run exercise for NATO and allied nations. From Bulwark's viewpoint, the training, which sees her in charge of an international naval force operating in the fjords around the Arctic port of Harstad, will ensure she remains ready to conduct a wide variety of tasks around the world in any climatic conditions.
See the gallery at Related links for more pictures from Exercise Cold Response.

A vertical replenishment via helicopter involved the transfer of 90 Royal Marines commandos from HMS Illustrious, with all their weapons and kit - three Sea King helicopters ran ferrying sorties for several hours until the transfers to HMS Bulwark were complete
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The fleet flagship has two key roles: to act as the command and control hub for all task group activity and to put men and machines ashore (currently marines from the UK, US and the Netherlands) by sea via landing craft or by air using Fleet Air Arm helicopters.
Amphibious operations remain the most complex operation any nation's military can undertake, as Bulwark's Commanding Officer, Captain Alex Burton, explained:

"It is not simply park the ship and offload it. In war - and therefore in training - we have to take account of the environment, enemy forces in the air, sea and on land, co-ordinate people into boats and naval helicopters, all to arrive on target, in the right order, at the right time, to achieve the battle-winning effect.
"Few navies deliver this successfully and most aspirants look to the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Fleet Air Arm, with our war-proven capability, for guidance - on the sea, in the air and on the land."

Royal Marines practise 'Dutch Wader' drills as part of landing on Red Beach in the military exercise area of Harstad in Norway
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Ahead of the landings, Bulwark was positively brimming with Royal Marines, having embarked an extra 90 Green Berets from HMS Illustrious who were transferred to the flagship by Sea King helicopter.
Never an easy manoeuvre given the amount of equipment the commandos carry in their Bergen packs on their backs, the Arctic weather added to the challenges air and flight deck crews faced (operations were temporarily suspended on Monday when a snowstorm swept through the fjords), and the marines had to wear their bright-red watertight suits when flying over the ocean to protect them should the Sea Kings have to ditch.
They didn't, thankfully, but the whole transfer took the three aircraft from the Commando Helicopter Force several hours.
Once aboard Bulwark the new arrivals found accommodation rather austere, calling corridors, passageways and camp beds their home - although, unlike the 320-strong ship's company, they're only aboard temporarily; for short periods, Bulwark can accommodate more than 650 troops:

Sailors in the Ops Room controlling the action during a 'Thursday War'
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

"My ship is phenomenally versatile and in this exercise we act as the hub to bring together all the units that make up the modern-day complex battlefield," Captain Burton added.
"Taking the fight ashore from the sea using helicopters and boats is not for the amateur but I have a ship's company of complete professionals. For us it's what we do."

Following Cold Response, Bulwark will undertake a similar role in another international amphibious exercise in the waters around Scotland.
And the ship will be off Weymouth and Portland for the bulk of the summer, acting as a floating command centre for the security mission surrounding Olympic and Paralympic sailing events being staged in the bay.
Meanwhile, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious is returning to Portsmouth on Sunday following her participation in Cold Response.

An overhead view of a helicopter on the deck of HMS Illustrious
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

She successfully carried out amphibious helicopter operations in extreme conditions. It enabled the completion of vital training for all members of the ship's company and helicopter crews.
Illustrious is returning to complete the repair of two small holes caused when one of four tugs came into contact with the ship's starboard quarter while assisting her to berth at Harstad on 9 March. An investigation is being conducted.
The holes are well above the waterline and do not affect her seaworthiness or safety. No-one was injured in the incident.
Initial repairs were carried out by the ship's engineers and, while she could have continued to participate in Exercise Cold Response, the decision was taken to return her to Portsmouth so that the repairs could be completed to ensure that her future programme is not affected.

Royal Navy: HMS Astute arrives home from US sea trials

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Equipment and Logistics | HMS Astute arrives home from US sea trials

HMS Astute arrives home from US sea trials

An Equipment and Logistics news article

2 Mar 12

Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute returned home to Scotland yesterday after deploying to America for her most important series of sea trials yet.

A tug vessel greets HMS Astute on the Clyde
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Paul Halliwell, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The hunter-killer nuclear submarine HMS Astute, the first of the Navy's next-generation submarines, is the most advanced submarine Britain has ever sent to sea.
She has spent the last four-and-a-half months off the eastern seaboard of North America undergoing extensive trials, including firing her main weaponry for the first time.
She spent 77 days at sea, 65 alongside, and was inspected by 18-stars-worth of American and British naval authority - including the First Sea Lord and America's naval equivalent, the Chief of Naval Operations.
She 'battled' against USS New Mexico, America's newest and best Virginia Class hunter-attack submarine, deep dived, fired her Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, and over the course of the deployment sailed 16,400 miles (26,400km).
Her Commanding Officer, Glasgow-born Commander Iain Breckenridge, aged 45, was met in the Clyde yesterday by his wife Steph, and she sailed with him the last few miles to the Coulport side of HM Naval Base Clyde.

HMS Astute surfaces in the Clyde following sea trials off North America
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Paul Halliwell, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

He said:

"We are looking forward now to a bright future - this is a submarine of tremendous capability."

Of the deployment, which saw them visit the giant US Naval Base in Kings Bay, Georgia, Commander Breckenridge said:

"We met and surpassed every expectation. She is just better than any other submarine I have ever been on.

"Astute is still on trial and she is first of class which always brings its own problems, but we are beginning to look beyond those problems and see the promise.

"We fired off four Tomahawks, aimed at a corner of Eglin Air Force Base to test for accuracy, and we fired six Spearfish torpedoes, including the first salvo firing by a British submarine for 15 years.

HMS Astute in the Clyde
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Paul Halliwell, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

"Our sonar is fantastic and I have never before experienced holding a submarine at the range we were holding USS New Mexico. The Americans were utterly taken aback, blown away with what they were seeing."

Commader Breckenridge, whose first submarine was diesel-powered HMS Olympus, basically a redesign of Second World War technology, added:

"This is the future - Astute is on her way - and she is still a trials boat."

The oldest man on board, coxswain Chief Petty Officer John Adam, aged 50, from Old Kilpatrick, said:

"To have achieved what we achieved is a very significant milestone. The whole world was watching us and we did it. To serve on a boat like this in the twilight of my career has actually been the highlight of my career."

The youngest man on the 7,800-tonne boat, Stoker Jonathon Ball, aged 19, from Ballyclare in Northern Ireland, only signed up in January of last year. Astute is his first submarine and the deployment marked his first trip to America:

HMS Astute in the Clyde
[Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Paul Halliwell, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

"I volunteered for this because it was the bigger challenge and submarines are a lot more interesting than skimmers," he said. "America was just great."

Astute will never need refuelling. Her sonar can track ships 3,000 miles (4,830km) away and her missiles have a target range of 1,200 miles (1,930km) - with accuracy measured in metres.
Not only that, Naval Command in Britain can reprogramme the missiles in mid-flight and aim for another target, even if the submarine is thousands of miles away.
Next in line for Astute is a base maintenance period at Faslane, before returning to sea later in the year for more trials.
Commander Breckenridge concluded:

"She is one awesome piece of kit - and I am very proud of the fellowship that has formed in a very fine crew."

Royal Navy: HMS Illustrious works with Danish military in Copenhagen

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | HMS Illustrious works with Danish military in Copenhagen

HMS Illustrious works with Danish military in Copenhagen

A Military Operations news article

27 Feb 12

Portsmouth-based warship HMS Illustrious has been working with colleagues in the Danish Armed Forces during a four-day visit to Copenhagen.

HMS Illustrious in Copenhagen, Denmark
[Picture: LA(Phot) Dean Nixon, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The ship hosted a Lynx helicopter from the Royal Danish Air Force for several hours of flight deck drills. Among the helicopter's crew was Lieutenant Richard Dixon, a Royal Navy pilot on an exchange posting with the Royal Danish Navy.
The port visit also allowed Illustrious to open her hatches to the Copenhagen public for a day, and 4,500 visitors took the opportunity to see her impressive hangar and flight deck and talk to crew members.
Further links were forged when 60 officers under training on board paid a visit to the Royal Danish Naval Academy.
The helicopter carrier stopped off at the Danish capital on her way north for Exercise Cold Response - a multinational two-week exercise inside the Arctic Circle.

A Lynx helicopter from the Royal Danish Air Force (foreground) on board HMS Illustrious for flight deck drills
[Picture: PO(Phot) Ray Jones, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Her Commanding Officer, Captain Martin Connell, said:

"It has been a privilege to be able to bring HMS Illustrious to Copenhagen.

"The fact that we welcomed around 4,500 members of the Danish public and a number of Danish Army personnel on board proved once again that this kind of visit always provides a fantastic opportunity to strengthen relationships with our NATO allies.

"It was also a great opportunity for us to operate with a helicopter from the Danish Armed Forces, once again demonstrating the Royal Navy's close links with our partner nations.

"We look forward now to continuing our preparations for the multinational exercise Cold Response, which will take place in challenging conditions alongside other ships from the Royal Navy's Response Force Task Group and other allied navies."

Royal Navy: HMS Illustrious trains in tough Arctic conditions

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Training and Adventure | HMS Illustrious trains in tough Arctic conditions

HMS Illustrious trains in tough Arctic conditions

A Training and Adventure news article

14 Mar 12

Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious is in the midst of Exercise Cold Response, based in the Arctic.

Crew members secure a Sea King helicopter during a whiteout on board HMS Illustrious
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

During the NATO exercise Illustrious is the command ship for Major General Ed Davis, Commandant General Royal Marines, who, with his Commander Amphibious Forces staff, is directing the movements of allied warships.
In all, about 16,000 sailors, soldiers and airmen from 15 nations, hosted by Norway, are taking part in Cold Response which tests the ability of NATO's forces to fight in the harshest environment imaginable.
The ten-day war game has gathered an international task force in the waters of the Arctic.
The situation in the fictional 'Nerthus' region (actually northern Norway) is deteriorating, with 'Gardarland' refusing to withdraw its troops from neighbouring 'Borgland', and the multinational naval force on high alert, ready to intervene if needed.
During Cold Response HMS Illustrious is home to eight helicopters - four Sea Kings and four Lynx, all from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.

Aircraft secured on board HMS Illustrious until the weather improves during Exercise Cold Response
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The 900-plus crew of HMS Illustrious, including Royal Marines and personnel from the Commando Helicopter Force, are working around the clock.
Staff working on the flight deck, day and night, are facing blizzards and strong winds that can drop the temperature to minus 40 degrees Celsius as they marshal and refuel the essential helicopters.
At one point a blizzard brought flying operations to a standstill.
Royal Marines of Kilo Company, 42 Commando, had been ready to board Commando Helicopter Force Lynx and Sea Kings when the operation was called off.
Deck crews and aircraft maintainers coped with high winds and blizzard conditions to secure the aircraft to the deck or move them inside to a hangar.
Captain Martin Connell, the ship's Commanding Officer, said:

Clearing skies over Illustrious leave a light smattering of snow on the flight deck
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

"HMS Illustrious and her embarked helicopter squadrons are certainly facing some tough arctic conditions.

"But we have prepared for this, both in terms of training and with all our equipment, and I am very pleased with the way the crew have approached the exercise throughout the ship."

He added:

"In particular the positive attitude and cheery enthusiasm of those operating on the flight deck have been vital and have allowed Illustrious to conduct helicopter operations round the clock in support of the multinational task force."

A few miles away, the Navy's flagship HMS Bulwark has been carrying out amphibious exercises with her landing craft.

Crew members clear ice and snow from the flight deck of HMS Illustrious
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

The assault ship has been training at Red Beach near Harstad with the Korps Mariniers - the Dutch counterparts of the Royal Marines and long-standing partners of the Green Berets.
Commodore Paddy McAlpine, Commander UK Task Group, and his staff are directing amphibious operations involving Bulwark and her subordinate ships and units.
Landing craft from Bulwark's permanent Royal Marines unit, 4 Assault Group, trained with Netherland's assault ship HNLMS Rotterdam, which is a cross between Bulwark and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Bay Class landing support ships.
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