UK Royal Navy Testing Unmanned Equipment
Operational trials of unmanned equipment in Norway offered a glimpse of the UK Royal Navy's autonomous future. Royal Marines small boat specialists 47 Commando have been working alongside HMS Albion, the Royal Navy’s autonomous accelerator NavyX and the Office for the Chief Technology Officer to see how the kit can be put to use in real world situations.Exercise Autonomous Advance Force put unmanned boat Mast 13, heavy lift drone from Malloy, remotely-piloted air system Puma and…
White Ensign at London Boat Show
The British Royal Navy looks set to be a major draw at the London Boat Show, which opens at the ExCel exhibition centre 12, January 2013. The Navy will be at the London Boat Show for visitors to learn more about naval life and how, every minute of every day, somewhere in the world they are protecting the nation’s interests. The Navy stand will include an opportunity to get up close to an advanced Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC). Measuring 9 metres long and able to travel in excess of 35 knots, the craft were part of the Navy’s commitment to keeping the public safe during the Olympic Games.
British Navy to Deploy 3,000 to Mediterannean War Games
More than 3,000 sailors & Royal Marines are geared up for a three-month deployment to the Mediterranean. 'Cougar 12', which begins later this month, will see four warships, one amphibious support ship, a giant ro-ro ferry/transporter, three commando units and helicopters and personnel from eight Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps squadrons committed to the three-month deployment – in all more than 3,000 sailors, Royal Marines, soldiers and airmen. They will take part in two large…
Yachtsman Plucked from N.Atlantic 40-ft Swell
A team of Royal Navy aviators rescue an injured man from his yacht 70 miles offshore UK coast in Sea State 8 & a 40-foot (12m) swell. The duty crew of 771 Naval Air Squadron, based at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in Helston, Cornwall, carried out the risky operation following a 'scramble' to a lone sailor in difficulties. Having conducted a visual search of the area for over an hour, 70 miles (113km) out at sea, in very poor visibility, the team located the sailor when he lit a flare.
US Bicentennial – British Ship Present
Entering Norfolk, Virginia, with a flash of flame from one of her two saluting guns, RFA Argus was one of scores of warships, sailing vessels and other craft which spent six days at the US naval base for a massive waterfront and seaborne festival to mark the bicentenary of the War of 1812. An estimated 1.5 million people descended on the Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay area to watch festivities, which included parades of sail, and look around visiting vessels at the latest Op Sail 2012.
Carter Hall Conducts Coalition Operations in the Gulf of Aden
USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Austin (A 386) and its embarked helicopter detachment 857th Royal Naval Air Squadron, and Federal German Ship Köln (F 211) are conducting maritime operations as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. CTF 150 is responsible for maritime operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, North Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Through cooperation, these units drastically increase their individual capabilities. Flying two ASAC-7 Sea King helicopters, each equipped with the Searchwater 2000 radar, the aviators of the 857th are capable of locating and classifying contacts several hundred miles away. Between Carter Hall’s air assets and those of the 857th, the coalition partners have the ability to cover a much larger area with fewer ships.
