SPEARFISH Heavy Torpedo – A three (3) year midlife upgrade prograame for the SPEARFISH torpedo will commence in 2014 by, the work being carried out by BAE Systems, which will extend the operational life to 2025.    The SPEARFISH entered full production in 1988, with deliveries completed by 2003 and stored and serviced at the Defence Munition Centre at Beith (close by Faslane).    Under the contract 180 SPEARFISH will have the upgrade and the likely allocation, always the art of the possible rather than the reality, assuming two reloads are carried on each submarine in addition to the primary weapon outfit, would be:-

Deployment	Class Numbers	Torpedo Tubes	Torpedos Carried	TOTAL Weapons
Vanguard Class	4	4	12	48
Trafalgar/Astute	7	6	18	108
Beith Maintenance	-	-	-	24

Of course torpedoes will come and go as submarines go for assisted maintenance packages or refit but the above allocations shows that we have enough to cover the three salvo option.    The Trafalgar/Astute Classes are also capable of launching TOMAHAWK and the mix with SPEARFISH on any submarine is not known.

BULWARK Paralympic Duty – The Assault Ship BULWARK, fresh from Olympic duty in Weymouth Bay will perform a similar role for Paralympics serving as the command and control centre for maritime security operations around Portland for the duration of the Paralympic Games.   The BULWARK will direct the movements of Royal Marines raiding craft, RNUU Patrol Boats and civilian launches and boats, and be fed live imagery of the waters around Weymouth by special cameras fitted to Fleet Air Arm MERLIN HM1 helicopters from 814 Naval Air Squadron on patrol overhead.

The BULWARK, the Fleet Flagship has relieved RFA MOUTTS BAY which has spent the past month providing office administrative support and accommodation facilities for small boat crews, docking and maintenance facilities for raiding craft, planning rooms for Navy logistics staff, and offices and briefing rooms for police and 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group.  

The Helicopter Carrier OCEAN remains on the Thames supporting events in the capital, serving as a helicopter launch pad and floating accommodation for some of the military personnel assigned to Operation OLYMPICS.    There are also RNUU Patrol Boats safeguarding the Thames Estuary.

Dartmouth Regatta - A host of Royal Navy assets supported the popular Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth Regatta with the Type 23 Frigate ST.ALBANS acting as Guardship, stationed at the mouth of the Dart for five days.    The Fleet Air Arm were represented by the Red and Grey SEA KING HU5s of 771 Squadron putting on an air/sea rescue demonstration (with the RNLI Dartmouth), plus a fly past by a SEA FURY from the RN Historical Flight at RNAS Yeovilton, and the “Black Cats” Helicopter Display team from 702 Squadron,

Yeovilton Gate Guardian – At Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton (HERON), a veteran WESSEX HU5, built by Westland some 48 years ago coming me off the Yeovil production line in 1964, has recently been restored and now stands proudly as a Gate Guardian    The helicopter first flew with the Fleet Air Arm in June 1965 has recently been restored to its distinctive mid 1970s livery of “Junglie Green” now stands proudly as a Gate Guardian at RNAS Yeovilton.     The helicopter itself served with 707 Naval Air Squadron, first at Culdrose, then at Yeovilton from 1972, the squadron being an advanced training unit.

CAMMELL LAIRD – the once great name in Merseyside shipbuilding is undergoing a renaissance and now has ambitions in the marine renewables and civil nuclear sectors as well as more traditional areas.      The Birkenhead based company has more than 800 workers, including more than 80 apprentices, and a further 700 subcontractors.   The current workload is mainly focused on drydocking, repairs and maintenance on ferries, tugs, offshore support ships and tankers.    A ship conversion contract for the Orkney Islands Council ferry the HOY HEAD and a contract to build two (2) new Clyde ferries for Western Ferries is part of the future.   In the windfarm sector progress in preparing the yard’s infrastructure to support a contract with RWE to service the construction of the Gwynt y Mor offshore windfarm is underway.     In the civil nuclear sector there is a partnership with Nuvia and Ansaldo Nucleare means they are well positioned to secure a complete nuclear new build engineering solution should new nuclear power stations become reality.

Cammell Laird have been involved in the Aircraft Carrier building programme building the flight deck for the QUEEN ELIZABETH - in May (2012) five (5) modules weighing more than 3,500 tonnes were dispatched by ocean going barge to the Rosyth Dockyard with the final modules in the contract are due to be completed in the autumn.      Cammell Laird of course is a key contractor the MoD for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as part of its 25 year through life support contract to maintain eleven (11) ships in the fleet. The work currently includes four (4) extensive refits in Birkenhead for the:-

            Fleet Tanker:                  RFA WAVE KNIGHT     

            Support Tanker:              RFA BLACK ROVER

            Forward Repair Ship:       RFA DILIGENCE

            Stores Ship:                   RFA FORT AUSTIN

with all due to complete by the autumn.     As part of the through life support contract Cammell Laird undertakes work for the RFA at shipyards around the UK and overseas as part of the “global reach element” of the contract.     This has included Assisted Maintenance Periods at Simonstown (South Africa), Charleston (South Carolina) and Port Rashid (UAE).

New MOD Permanent Secretary - It has been announced that Jon Thompson will become the new Permanent Secretary to the MoD following the departure of Ursula Brennan from the post in June 2012.    In January 2009 Mr Thompson, a Norfolk man, took up his current post as Director General of Finance at the MoD.

Jon Thompson was born in 1964 and started his career at Norfolk County Council, qualifying for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in 1989. He then spent two years at Eagle Star before joining Ernst & Young's public sector practice.  Rejoining local government in 1997 Jon worked for North Somerset Council rising to Director of Finance and Resources.    In 2003 Jon joined Ofsted as its first Finance Director and in the spring of 2004 was appointed Director General of Finance at the Department of Education and Skills.    Following a Cabinet reshuffle in 2007 Jon led the creation of the Department for Children, Schools and Families and became Director General of Corporate Services.       Jon joined the Ministry of Defence in January 2009 to reform financial management and lead work to balance the Defence Budget. From 2008 to 2011 Jon was also the Head of the Government Finance Profession at Her Majesty's Treasury with responsibility for overall financial management standards across the Civil Service.

DAUNTLESS Arrives Falklands – The Type 45 Destroyer DAUNTLESS has reached the bleak beauty of the Falklands on the AURIGA 12 Deployment, calling at Tristan da Cunha, en route.     .