857 Will be the Last in Afghan ? – 857 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with the SEA KING ASaC.7 Airborne Surveillance and Control helicopters in support of operations across Central Helmand were visited by the HRH The Duke of York as part of a wider visit to the military in Afghan.   HRH The Duke of York was himself a helicopter pilot and of course a veteran of the Falkland War.

The RFA MOUNTS BAY Flying Circus – the Landing Ship RFA MOUNTS BAY became briefly one of the busiest airfields in the UK as the ship took up flying training exercises with four squadrons and four different types of helicopters. More than 350 deck landings – including 100 by the new WILDCAT during three weeks of intensive training off the south coast.     The training helped to keep aircrew

            SEA KING HC.4 Commando Helicopter Force / 848 Naval Air Squadron/RNAS Yeovilton

            SEAKING HU.5 Air Sea Rescue / 771 Naval Air Squadron/RNAS Culdrose

            LYNX HMA.8 Anti-Submarine / 815 Naval Air Squadron/RNAS Yeovilton

            WILDCAT HMA.2 Trials / 700W Naval Air Squadron/RNAS Yeovilton

CHIDDINGFOLD Rigorous Assessment – is nearing the long road out of refit by completing a month long examination under Operational Sea Training in Scotland, carried out under the auspices of Flag Officer Sea Training.     The CHIDDINGFOLD has recently completed a 572 day overhaul, which included new caterpillar engines – the first Royal Navy ship to get them as part of an extensive repropulsion project commenced when the ship returned from three years in the Arabian Gulf in late 2011.

EXPLORER Reaches Klaipėda – the University Unit Fast Patrol Vessel EXPLORER has reached the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda on the latest stage of the two month summer deployment to the Baltic.  Even here there are “British” war dead ton honour from the Great War in a distant cemetery.

The Latvian Navy of course were the buyers in 2006 of the Hunt Class Minecountermeasure Vessels  COTTESMORE and DULVERTON.    Following an extensive Thales UK-led refurbishment and reactivation programme, the Lithuanian Navy has formally accepted and commissioned two former Royal Navy minehunters into its fleet as the LNS SKALVIS and LNS KURSIS.

The EXPLORER is now on the homeward leg of her Baltic Horizon deployment and will visit ports in Poland, Germany and the Netherlands before crossing the North Sea to provide guard ship duties at Sunderland Air Show in last weekend in July.

KENT Half Way – the Type 23 Frigate KENT is about half way through a counter piracy and counter terrorism patrol East of Suez.   The KENT is currently attached to Combined Task Force 150, comprising warships from Australia, France and Canada, and working with vessels from Djibouti, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.       Daily interaction with crews on dhows and other vessels plying their lawful trade in ‘Pirate Alley’ between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is just part of the daily routine.     Recently the KENT completed a “RAS” (Replenishment at Sea) with the French DURANCE Class Command and Replenishment Ship FS SOMME in the Indian Ocean

Aerial Photographs of an Aircraft Carrier – the near complete hull of the Aircraft Carrier QUEEN ELIZABETH is an impressive sight from the air – it is now virtually complete and painted in “red lead” colour and only the space for the ramp remain to be painted.    The first of the five pieces of the ramp will be being installed shortly.   There is of course a long way to go as the vessel has a lot of “fitting out” to go and the ship will need to be painted.

LANCASTER Completes Initial Tasking – the Type 23 Frigate LANCASTER has visited Montserrat, the last of the six British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean region as part of the ship’s six month deployment.    The LANCASTER will now concentrate on counter narcotic operations in earnest, though it is of course “hurricane season”.   Using the embarked LYNX HMA.8 helicopter from 815 Squadron flew over the small British Overseas Territory of Anguilla to root out illegal crop growing and as a result three plantations on the Anguilla have been destroyed.    Fresh from Anguilla, the LANCASTER sailed into Puerto Rico to pick up a law enforcement detachment from the US Coast Guard.