End of the Line for the Type 42 – the decommissioning the Type 42 Destroyer EDINBURGH this month brings to an end four decades of modern naval history.   The 28 year old EDINBURGH was the last of the last of the fourteen (14) ships in the class in service.   The Type 42s came to public consciousness during the Falklands with the loss of twenty (20) when the SHEFFIELD was hit by an Exocet missile,  and  three weeks later sister ship COVENTRY was bombed and sunk with the loss of twenty one (21) during a day of battle with the Argentine Air Force.   Later the GLOUCESTER intercepted an Iraqi missile bound for a US battleship in the Gulf, whilst LIVERPOOL more recently repeatedly (and accurately) pounded pro-Government forces in Libya in 2011.

Atlantic Patrol Taskforce (North) - the Type 23 Frigate LANCASTER visiting Bermuda (Caribbean) joined the Fleet Tanker RFA WAVE KNIGHT in the British Overseas Territory.     The RFA WAVE KNIGHT has been on operations in this region since the beginning of the year, whilst the LANCASTER is a new arrival, and during the six month deployment will visit all six of the British Overseas Territories in the region as well as numerous Commonwealth and Caribbean countries

St. Helena Remembrance – the Support Tanker RFA BLACK ROVER, en route to the South Atlantic duty paid tribute the 41 crew of the tanker RFA DARKDALE killed when the ship was torpedoed by a U-boat.   During the ship’s brief visit the crew smartened the war memorial on Jamestown, St Helena.    It is impossible for the RFA BLACK ROVER to dock on the island, so the party of volunteers was put ashore on St Helena by sea boat.

The RFA DARKDALE arrived off St Helena in the summer of 1941, and was to provide fuel for passing Royal Navy warships such as Aircraft Carrier EAGLE and the Cruiser DORSETSHIRE.   On the night of the 21-22^nd October 1941 when at anchor off Jamestown the German U-68 found the ship and sank the tanker with torpedoes, the blast caused the RFA DARKDALE to turn over and sink in minutes, two men survived the explosion – blown off the upper deck and clear of the wreck.    The striken ship was torn in two, with sections protruding ominously from the Atlantic.

Membrane Bio-Reactor – Sewage Disposal To You and Me – the Helicopter Carrier OCEAN, currently a fair way into a 15 month overhaul programme at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard, has seen work completed on schedule in preparation for the installation (by Babcock) of a first of class Membrane Bio-Reactor, a significant proportion of the vessel’s current upgrade package.   The new Membrane Bio-Reactor replaces the ship’s existing sewage treatment system and will be capable of processing both waste water and sewage (black and grey water, galley, laundry, sink and shower waste).    This will mean that OCEAN will be in full compliance with current and future planned IMO and MARPOL regulations due to come into force in 2015, enabling the ship to operate globally.

Arctic Russians - The Coast Guard Division of Russia’s Federal Security Service will deploy four new Warships to protect the nation’s Arctic Zone by 2020 - eleven border protection facilities are to be built in the Arctic, while automated surveillance systems are to be deployed in the area as part of the Russian Federation State Border Protection program for 2012-2020.   Russia has officially set a goal of deploying a combined arms force by 2020 to protect its political and economic interests in the Arctic, including military, border, and Coast Guard units.   The Arctic “race” is on – so what will Canada, the USA and Denmark do ? – will there be a NATO solution ?    We should watch this space!!!!

ECHO Deploys Again for 18 Months – to replace the Survey Ship ENTERPRISE sister ship ECHO has deployed for a second 18 month deployment in three years and will operate in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

TERRIER – New Commando Battlefield Digger – as the Royal Marines return to amphibious operations after a dozen years when deployments in the sands of Iraq and Afghanistan have been a distraction from their primary focus things are on the move.    The latest piece of kit for the Royal Marines is the 30 tonne, 50 mph TERRIER armoured digger, capable of clearing minefields, laying temporary roads, smashing road surfaces, tearing up concrete and lifting heavy objects.    The TERRIER is fitted with thermal imaging technology and can be controlled remotely from distances up to a kilometre away and has five cameras which allows dangerous tasks such as mine clearance to be conducted remotely.    This versatile vehicle is able to transport up to 5,000 kg of material and the quick hitch mechanism means the bucket at the front can be rapidly dropped and replaced with either a set of forks (making it rather like a fork lift truck, a ripper for tearing up road surfaces or a device for clearing mines from road surfaces.     Different fittings for its side excavator arm can be used to dig holes, lift objects, drill into the ground or shatter concrete.     The TERRIOR is armed with a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun and smoke grenade launchers, and is air transportable by the (RAF aircraft) C-17 GLOBEMASTER, or the Airbus A400M when in service, but in Royal Marine service the Landing Craft Utility will be the usual means of getting them ashore.

24 Commando Regiment RE, based at Chivenor (Barnstaple) is an integral part of 3 Commando Brigade RM and now comprises:-

·           54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron, RE

·           56 Commando Field Squadron, RE (not yet established)

·           59 Commando Field Squadron, RE – the former 59 Independent Commando Squadron RM

                        Headquarters

                   Reconnaissance Troop

                   Field Troop

                   Field Troop

                   Field Troop

·         131 Independent Commando Squadron, RE (Volunteers)

                    Headquarters and Support Troop (Kingsbury, London NW)

                    300 Troop (Plymouth)

                    301 Troop (Sheldon, Birmingham)

                    302 Troop (Bath)

·         REME Workshops (Attached)

with an establishment of 543 Officers and Soldiers.

Some sixty (60) TERRIER vehicles have/are been acquired by the Royal Engineers – and will be issued to their field units including 24 Commando Regiment, RE.