Cougar 12 Heads For the Mediterranean – the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group – a three month amphibious ‘work-out’ lead by the Fleet Flagship, the Assault Ship BULWARK. The Task Group comprises :
Assault Ship : BULWARK (Flagship)
Helicopter Carrier : ILLUSTRIOUS
Type 23 Frigates : NORTHUMBERLAND and MONTROSE
Landing Ship : RFA MOUNTS BAY
Logistics Ship : HARTLAND POINT
The embarked Royal Marine Group comprises:-
Headquarters of 3 Commando Brigade
45 Commando RM (currently the UK’s on-call unit ready to respond to world events)
30 Commando IX Group RM (see separate item)
539 Assault Squadron RM
The embarked Air Group will vary during the deployment will be drawn from the Fleet Air Arm units:-
814 Naval Air Squadron MERLIN HM1
829 Naval Air Squadron MERLIN HM1
815 Naval Air Squadron LYNX HMA8
854 Naval Air Squadron SEA KING ASaC7
845/846 Naval Air Squadron SEA KING HC4
Plus Army Air Corps detachments from :
656 Squadron APACHE AH1
659 Squadron LYNX AH7
The deployment starts with some initial training off the Cornish coast, including amphibious landings near St Austell, before the force makes for the Mediterranean. The Response Force Task Group will take part in two large scale exercises, interspersed with various smaller exercises and training and goodwill visits and will be the second test of the Task Group, formed under the 2010 SDSR. Exercise Corsican Lion will see the Task Group working with the French Aircraft Carrier FS CHARLES de GAULLE - the most powerful surface ship in western European waters – flying fixed wing jets such as the SUPER ETENDARD and the RAFALE.
There will be planned exercises with the US and Algerian forces and visits to Algeria and Malta and exercises with the Albanians in the Adriatic. The return of the Helicopter Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS will be particularly poignant recalling the previous ships of that name in the dark days of World War Two.
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