Military Resettlement, Business, Training & Recruitment
Sailors from the frigate HMS Lancaster and offshore patrol ship HMS Severn struggled in dark, freezing conditions to plug a hole in the damaged hull of the Christos XXII and pump out tonnes of water to prevent it sinking.
On Saturday, 12 January, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, spoke to President François Hollande of France about how the UK can support French military assistance being provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country. As a result of this, the UK has offered, at French request, 2 transport aircraft to help quickly transport foreign troops and equipment to the West African country.
25 volunteers from the Plymouth-based frigate’s company headed to the village of Kigamboni while their ship was berthed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The sailors helped to install windows and doors in the community centre building, repaired fencing, and built ‘hugle beds’, which will be used to grow vegetables in dry conditions.
As an island nation, the UK’s prosperity and security is dependent on its ability to access the sea. That is why the Royal Navy is globally deployed and has a range of versatile ships, submarines and aircraft operated by professional sailors, aviators and Royal Marine Commandos. The Navy will be at the London Boat Show from 12 to 20 January, where visitors can learn more about naval life and how, every minute of every day, somewhere in the world they are protecting the nation’s interests
The 4 servicemen from 815 Naval Air Squadron are among 1,500 Royal Navy personnel to receive medals for their part in the NATO -led Libya operation. The aircrew and engineers, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, were presented with NATO Operation Unified Protector medals for their participation in the Libya operation while serving with 217 Flight on board HMS Liverpool . Left to right: Lieutenant Alastair Crawford, Petty Officer Paul Perry and Lieutenant Craig Farquharson with their Operation Unified Protector medals [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2012] The four who received medals for the operation were Lieutenant Alistair Crawford, Lieutenant Craig Farquharson, Petty Officer Paul Perry and Air Engineering Technician Matthew Parker
When Australian scientists went to have a look at Sandy Island in the South Pacific recently, they discovered that, despite having featured on maps and on Google Earth for years, it doesn’t actually exist. The experts working at the Defence Geographic Centre ( DGC ) may well have smiled wryly on hearing this.
BAE Systems released a statement confirming that the deal is worth some £2.5 billion and equips the Sultan’s Armed Forces with the most sophisticated aircraft on the market today.
The Plymouth frigate HMS Monmouth joined forces with a United States warship and air power for an exercise involving the military and merchant shipping to show how the two can work together to ensure safe passage on the high seas. HMS Monmouth, known as the Black Duke, was given the task of providing close-in protection to two huge tankers – including the Bahamian-registered Arcturus Voyager (333 metres long and displacing 160,000 tonnes) which travels at only 5 knots/6 miles per hour (9.26 kilometres per hour). The UK warship was supported by US Navy and coast guard patrol ships, a supply vessel and the air-defence destroyer USS Winston S Churchill – with a Royal Navy navigator aboard
The Santas, accompanied by Rudolph, were gathered at 10am for a gentle warm-up led by the Executive Officer, Commander Don Mackinnon, who is currently in command for this Antarctic patrol, before it was ‘on your marks, get set… ho ho ho’. The Santa run was conducted on ice in the waters surrounding Deception Island, a dormant, water-filled caldera volcano; one of only two known in the world. Breaking through a sheet of snow-covered ice before coming to a planned stop, HMS Protector took position and disembarked her personnel to test the ice conditions and drill ice core samples to ensure the ice was safe, before Protector’s eager Father Christmasses followed via the ship’s accommodation ladder
Here we take a closer look at how RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire prepares for the festive season.