Fleet Air Arm – the Fleet Air Arm is set to see considerable change in the next few year – so what us the position and where do we start from – Here is the best list that the researcher can compile.

		Fixed Wing
Fighter Strike
LIGHTNING 11 F-35B	3 + ?	617 Squadron To Form 2016 801 Squadron to Follow ?	RAF Marham RAF Marham
Trainng
AVENGER T.1	4	750 Squadron/Observer Traing	RNAS Culdrose
HAWK T.1	12 2	FRADU Standards Flight	RNAS Culdrose RNAS Yeovilton
TUTOR T.1	5	727 Squadron/Pilot Grading	RNAS Culdrose
		Rotary Wing
Anti-Submarine Force
WILDCAT HMA.2	4 + 24	700 W Squadron/Trials	RNAS Yeovilton
LYNX HMA.8	31	702/815 Squadron	RNAS Yeovilton
MERLIN HM.1	31	814/820/824/820 Squadrons (Note: 30 being upgraded to HM.2)	RNAS Culdrose
Commando Helicopter Force
SEA KING HC.4	34	845/846/848 Squadrons	RNAS Yeovilton
LYNX AH.7	6	847 Squadron	RNAS Yeovilton
MERLIN HC.4	25	To transfer from the RAF	-
Sea Control Force
SEA KING AsaC.7	13	849/854/857 Squadrons	RNAS Yeovilton
MERLIN HM.1	1	To be used for CROWSNEST Trials ?	RNAS Yeovilton
Search & Rescue/Training
SEA KING HU.5	12 3	771 Squadron/SAR       & Fleet Requirements Gannet SAR Flight	RNAS Culdrose Prestwick
TUTOR T.1	?	703 Squadron/Basic Training	RAF Barkston Heath
SQUIRREL HT.1/HT.2	?	705 Squadron/Rotary Training	DHFS Shawbury
DAUPHIN	3	FOST Flight	Plymouth City
MIRACH 100	?	792 Squadron	RNAS Culdrose
Miscellaneous
SEA HAWK FGA.6	1	RN Historic Flight	RNAS Yeovilton
SEA FURY FB.11	1	RN Historic Flight	RNAS Yeovilton
SWORDFISH Mk.1/11	2	RN Historic Flight	RNAS Yeovilton
CHIPMUNK T.10	1	RN Historic Flight	RNAS Yeovilton

10 Landing Craft Training Squadron RM Moves from Poole – the specialist amphibious assault troops of 10 Landing Craft Training Squadron RM has moved permanently from RM Poole to RM Tamar in HM Naval Base Devonport.      Ninety permanent staff from the Hamworthy base will move with the squadron to the Royal Navy’s new £ 30 million training centre.

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