MoD and Navy News

HMS SOMERSET CELEBRATES HER

RETURN TO THE OPERATIONAL FLEET

The Devonport-based Type 23 frigate, HMS Somerset, is to officially return to the Royal Navy Fleet following an intensive multi-million pound refit in Scotland.

The ship has spent around 16 months at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife where she was fitted with the very latest in weapons and sensors technology. HMS Somerset left Scotland in April this year to embark on a gruelling set of sea trials to prove the new equipment and bring her crew up to the optimum level of training.

On Friday 14th September, the ship will be officially re-dedicated into the Fleet during a ceremony in Plymouth Sound, which will give the ship's company the opportunity to present the Royal Navy's most modern frigate to an invited gathering of friends and affiliates from the County of Somerset . These guests will include Lady Elspeth Layard who launched HMS Somerset in 1995 and the Duke of Somerset.

Her Commanding Officer, Commander Rob Wilson said: "This is an important day for both HMS Somerset and her crew. At the rededication ceremony the ship will receive a formal blessing for the next chapter of her commission, one that will soon see her deploying with our NATO allies. This day will also give the ship's company the opportunity to look back on a busy summer which saw them achieve a great deal and of this they can be rightly proud."

The Devonport based ship HMS Northumberland has been working hard in the Mediterranean just weeks after leaving her home port of Plymouth. The Type 23 frigate is in the region for a four-month deployment as part of the NATO task group Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), after leaving Devonport on 22nd August.

After leaving Plymouth, HMS Northumberland spent a day in the south coast exercise areas conducting live firings of her Sea Wolf missiles before heading for the Bay of Biscay to conduct more exercises and aviation serials, designed to ensure all departments were at peak performance in readiness for the work ahead. This included on the spot, un-announced drills, to test the ship's maritime security operation and force protection procedures.

HMS Northumberland spent a few days alongside in Gibraltar before further training in the Gibraltar exercise areas before she continued on into the Mediterranean to meet up with the other units of the SNMG2 task group.

The multi-national SNMG2 Task Group is currently under the Operational Command of a Turkish Admiral, comprising of the Turkish Flagship TG Orucries, the Bulgarian frigate Draski, the Italian frigate ITS Aliseo, Spanish frigate SPS Canarias and the Greek frigate HS Aegean along with the Spanish Fleet tanker Marquise de la Ensenada.

The first few days concentrated on bringing the group together as an operationally capable force with a number of air and surface exercises. This saw HMS Northumberland repelling simulated attacks by AV-8B Harriers and Tornados of the Italian Air Force. The ship's boarding teams were also put through their paces, as was the ship's Merlin helicopter, which was called upon to simulate an attack on the force by a low slow flying aircraft proving a number of valuable, tactical lessons.

Arriving in northern Italy gave the ship's company the opportunity to recharge their batteries and meet their NATO counterparts and also to visit some of the local landmarks including Pisa and Florence during their spare time.

HMS Northumberland's Commanding Officer, Commander Martin Simpson said: " We have worked hard and had the opportunity to have some fun but the important business of ensuring we play our full part in this task group has been our main focus during the early part of this deployment. Having returned to sea our role of providing security within the Mediterranean Sea area will keep us extremely busy in the coming weeks".

The Ministry of Defence today signed a £30 million contract with Plymouth-based DML for a number of weapon mounted patrol vehicles which will be used by troops in Afghanistan.

The MWMIK vehicles (Mobility Weapon Mounted Installation Kit) will be built at the Devonport site and will be a considerable asset to troops on operations. With a top speed of 80 mph, they will offer increased mobility and protection.

The vehicle can be fitted with a range of firepower, including a .50 calibre machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher and a general purpose machine gun.

The MWMIK can carry up to three soldiers with their individual weapons, and can operate on a variety of terrains, including off road.

Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, said:

"These vehicles are well armed, swift, and agile. They will boost our capability with some serious firepower. MoD and the Treasury have worked hard to get these powerful vehicles to our troops in quick time, and they will start going out to theatre early next year."

The MWMIK will be produced at DML's Devonport dockyard facility, based on a design from Supacat Ltd. Universal Engineering Ltd will manufacture the chassis, Cummings the engine, and Allison the transmission.

DML has also recently been awarded a separate contract for a number of MEP (Military Enhancement Programme) vehicles. These are 6x6 load carrying all-terrain vehicles based on the same technology as MWMIK.

HMS Northumberland, the Devonport based Type 23 Frigate, has left her home port of Devonport for the Mediterranean just two days after her crew returned from summer leave. She deployed on Wednesday 22 nd August for four months with the 180 men and women of the anti submarine warfare frigate playing an important role as Britain 's contribution to the Standing Naval Force Mediterranean Group 2 (SNMG2). SNMG2 is part of the NATO Response Force that conducts Maritime Security Operations in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of United Nations Security Council Resolutions. This task is more commonly known as Operation Active Endeavour.

The first half of the year has already proved to be a busy time for HMS Northumberland. The ship has conducted exercises in the North West Approaches, had a high profile visit to London in March, and more recently a month away when she visited Gibraltar, and hosted Defence Industry Days in Algeria . She has also spent five weeks alongside in Devonport for routine maintenance. During this time essential kit has been maintained, upgraded or replaced, new equipment fitted, an engine change and her crew have completed various training courses. All this adds up to a better-equipped ship and ship's company. For local members of the crew, this has proved to be an excellent opportunity to spend an extended period with family and friends ashore before heading back to sea.

Prior to joining SNMG2, Northumberland completed two and half weeks of Operational Sea Training with specialists from Flag Officer Sea Training coming on board to train and assess the ship's company from the caterers right through to their operational work. Part of the training also focussed on scenarios HMS Northumberland could face on deployment; such as boarding operations, disaster relief, or the evacuation of civilian personnel - several Royal Navy ships were called upon to perform this task in Lebanon last year.

The first port of call is Spain and it will enable the ship's crew to meet representatives of the other NATO Navies in the task force, her team mates on the operation. With many new personnel on board, some of whom have been in the Royal Navy for less than one year, this will be the first foreign run-ashore. During the deployment, a diverse variety of places and cultures will be experienced, with planned visits to many Mediterranean ports.

The deployment is an international operation with a serious mission to perform. In addition to a demanding programme that will include regular multi-unit exercises, HMS Northumberland will be taking part in anti-terrorist operations as well as interrogating merchant vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean with the remit to board any suspicious vessels. This will prove to be a challenging and interesting environment, bringing together all parts of the ship putting their training into practise.

Commanding Officer Commander Martin Simpson, who took command of the ship in May said: "There is an enormously exciting time ahead for HMS Northumberland. We will be co-operating with allied Navies in an operational environment that is current and relevant. I have inherited an enthusiastic ship's company and I am sure their thoroughly deserved reputation for professionalism and flexibility will serve them well during our autumn deployment".

Devonport Naval Base has won a prestigious safety award for the third consecutive year. The base was honoured by RoSPA in the Defence Sector for outstanding achievement in the management of occupational health and safety. The Naval Base previously won the RoSPA National Defence Sector Award in Occupational Safety in 2005 and 2006. Last year it also won RoSPA's top safety award, the Sir George Earle Trophy. No other private or public sector organisation has achieved the level of success attained by the Naval Base in the fifty year history of the competition.

The award was presented at the annual Safety and Health Expo in Birmingham. The competitive Sector Awards recognise the organisations that have demonstrated the best health and safety management performance within specific industry sectors. This includes the National Defence Sector Awards. Entrants must demonstrate a consistently excellent or continuously improving performance with exceptional standards of health and safety management. The entries are compared with the others from the same industry sector in order to identify the 'best in class'. Each Sector Award winner receives an engraved trophy to be held permanently.

Captain Base Safety Captain John Coulthard accepted the award on behalf of the Naval Base Commander. He said: "This award demonstrates that Devonport Naval Base has demonstrated once again that all staff on whatever level within the organisation have had active involvement in the safety of their working environment. This also demonstrates that the Naval Base is in the forefront of safety management within the MoD."

Sir Ian Andrews, Permanent Under Secretary for Defence, said: "I am absolutely delighted that HMNB Devonport has won, yet again, RoSPA's prestigious award in the Defence Sector for outstanding achievement in the management of occupational health and safety.  This demonstrates the importance that we attach to improving safety across Defence."

RoSPA is a UK registered charity established over 80 years ago. By providing information, advice, resources and training as well as sponsoring an awards scheme, that recognises achievements in occupational health and safety, RoSPA is actively involved in the promotion of safety and the prevention of accidents. The society works towards its aims with central and local government, the caring services, the police and other organisations in the public and private sectors. Some of its work is funded by grant and sponsorship but mostly relies on the support of its growing membership.

The Right Honourable Margaret Beckett has presented a sailor from HMS Northumberland with an award for being the top sailor onboard. The MP presented Logs (Pers) Nicola Tidd from Northampton with the Matelot of Month award during a visit to the ship last month.

Nicola works as a logistician on board the frigate and has taken on a number of tasks ontop of her day job. She runs the ship's library, organises expeditions, is on the welfare committee and helps with team building events around the ship. These extra tasks have generated much work in her professional life but she has stayed focussed on the task and has often volunteered to work long hours in her own time to ensure that the ship's company's pay and records are correct.

If all of this wasn't enough she has continued to pursue her dream of becoming a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy with real purpose. In January she started flying lessons at Plymouth Airport with the aim of gaining her private pilots licence, this has taken real commitment on her behalf to juggle her already busy professional life with her personal goals.

Nicola said "I am really proud to have been awarded Matelot of the Month, though I did have to blush a bit when the Captain read out the reason for the award. My dad was also in the Royal Navy and I am sure that this will make him very proud of me".