Remembrance troops put through their paces at HMS Excellent before Cenotaph role
5th November 2024 at 5:28pm
Watch: Remembrance troops put through their paces at HMS Excellent before Cenotaph role
Personnel at HMS Excellent have been practising to make sure they are ready to lead commemorations at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday.
Forty-eight members of the Royal Marines Band Service lead 65 Royal Navy sailors and officers, 31 Royal Marines and eight members of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, in London.
But now, HMS Excellent resounded to the sound of boots and music, as sailors and Royal Marines prepared for their role.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Glynn Moffet is State Ceremonial Training Officer for the Royal Navy and told BFBS Forces News talks start “within the state ceremonial training group around March” in preparation for the event.
“But actually, the culmination of training starts three weeks before delivery of the National Act of Remembrance,” he said.
Watch: Princess Royal lays wreath at 80th Operation Market Garden commemoration event in Arnhem
From ships and submarines to bases and barracks, all personnel want to be at the nation’s focal point of remembrance.
And many have very personal reasons for volunteering.
Marine Benjamin Dixon, 40 Commando, said his “great-grandfather served in World War Two so it’s a perfect opportunity to remember him”.
Meanwhile, Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Adam Jamieson said his great-uncles were in the RAF.
He explained one of them was a prisoner of war, while another was shot down in the North Sea.
“He’s commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, so straight away that’s one reason for wanting to do it,” he said.
Three weeks of hard training is almost at an end – but they’re more than ready for their role leading the nation in remembrance.
Petty Officer naval nurse Soriana Mackie said personnel were “feeling and remembering about how important it is for us to be here”.
“To be marching, not just to be here as part of the Royal Navy, but to be representing the Queen Alexandra Royal Navy Nursing Service,” she said.
The Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail from Portsmouth naval base after a quick turnaround of only three days.
The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier headed back out to sea having only returned home on Friday following a 10-day period of training with the Royal Air Force and personnel from Britannia Royal Naval College.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will now be taking part in routine training and for some defence engagement before her expected return before Christmas.
BFBS Forces News live-streamed on YouTube the departure of the aircraft carrier, which you can watch back in full below.
HMS Queen Elizabeth recently completed routine training and sea trials which saw her crew take on different roles, work with Chinook helicopters and host visitors from BRNC Dartmouth.
She also worked closely with the Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans during her Fleet Operation Sea Training.
During her time at sea, she also worked with the Chinooks from the RAF’s 7 Squadron, which gave members of the lower deck crew the chance to work on flight operations.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) sails with Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) during the NATO-led maritime vigilance activity Neptune Strike 24-2, Oct. 24, 2024. US Navy Photo
The Harry S. Truman and U.K. carrier strike groups are currently in the North Sea participating in NATO exercise Neptune Strike (NEST) 24-2, a week-long exercise that began on Oct. 24 and wraps up Thursday.
The exercise will span the North, Baltic, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas with air operations across central Europe and air-to-ground actions in the Baltic Sea Region.
“NEST 24-2 will demonstrate the complex integration of joint high-end maritime strike capabilities. NATO will take operational control of multiple aircraft carriers and expeditionary strike groups in support of deterrence and defense of the Alliance,” reads a NATO release.
Neptune Strike series is part of Project Neptune, conceptualized in 2020, and aims to enhance the pace and flexibility of command and control of naval strike and amphibious forces. It also provides the blueprint for integrating multinational strike or maritime groups for contingency and defensive operations over long distances.
The main objectives of the exercise, according to the release, are maintaining freedom of navigation and maneuver in NATO’s area of operations, securing strategic maritime chokepoints, conducting deterrence and vigilance and increasing the interoperability in operational domains (e.g. air-land-integration), as well as fostering NATO’s capabilities to enable wide-reaching multi-domain operations.
“It is a long-planned activity conducted in compliance with international laws and standards, and scheduled independently from any current developments in the Middle East. It is defensive in nature and not directed towards any third party,” reads the release.
Around 20 surface vessels and submarines, Special Forces and numerous aircraft are participating in NEST 24-2 with some 15,000 supporting personnel, according to the release.
In the Mediterranean, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, which oversees the exercise, embarked its staff on the command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) to demonstrate the ability to deploy a self-sufficient mobile command element anywhere, at any time.
Two Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESG) will carry out amphibious landings as part of the drills. Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) and amphibious landing dock ship USS Oak Hill (LSD-51) together with their embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) elements will form one ESG while the other ESG will be the Turkish Navy Anadolu ESG.
The release did not state the composition of the Anadolu ESG only stating that amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu (L-400) along with an embarked Turkish Marine battalion and its surface escorts are participating. Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu (F-493) and corvette TCG Burgazada (F-513) are taking part in the exercise with Anadolu, according to a Turkish Ministry of Defence social media post.
Italian Navy’s Cavour Carrier Strike Group will take part in some portions of NEST 24-2. The Cavour CSG, consisting of carrier ITS Cavour (550), frigate ITS Alpino (F594) and multipurpose combat ship ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432), is currently homeward bound following a deployment to the Indo-Pacific
The Mediterranean-deployed Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) are also taking part in the exercise. SNMG2 is led by Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH339) with Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Cristóbal Cólon (F105) and fleet oiler ESPS Cantabria (A15) and Hellenic Navy frigate HS Aigaion (F-460) joining. SNMCMG2 is led by Romanian Navy minelayer ROS Vice Admiral Constantin Balescu (274) with other ships being Italian Navy minehunter ITS Alghero (M5556), Spanish Navy minehunter ESPS Tajo (M36) and Turkish Navy minehunter TCG Akcakoca (M286). SNMCMG2 carried out mine countermeasures operations in the vicinity of Sazan Island, Albania, in support of the Anadolu ESG as part of the exercise.
The Harry S. Truman and UK CSGs earlier joined together during the Royal Navy-led exercise Strike Warrior 2024, which wrapped up on Sunday, according to a Royal Navy release. The UKCSG consists of carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33), frigates HMS Portland (F79) and HMS Iron Duke (F234) and an Astute-class submarine. Fleet oilers RFA Tidespring (A136) and RFA Tidesurge (A138), both operating independently of the UKCSG, participated in the joint sail with the Harry S. Truman CSG.
The Harry S. Truman CSG is made up of carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and destroyers USS Stout (DDG-55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG-1090. Stout and Jason Durham detached from the CSG to conduct operations in the Barents Sea with Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida (F334), which is part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), filling in.
Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) sails with Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) during the NATO-led maritime vigilance activity Neptune Strike 24-2, Oct. 24, 2024. US Navy Photo
The Harry S. Truman and U.K. carrier strike groups are currently in the North Sea participating in NATO exercise Neptune Strike (NEST) 24-2, a week-long exercise that began on Oct. 24 and wraps up Thursday.
The exercise will span the North, Baltic, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas with air operations across central Europe and air-to-ground actions in the Baltic Sea Region.
“NEST 24-2 will demonstrate the complex integration of joint high-end maritime strike capabilities. NATO will take operational control of multiple aircraft carriers and expeditionary strike groups in support of deterrence and defense of the Alliance,” reads a NATO release.
Neptune Strike series is part of Project Neptune, conceptualized in 2020, and aims to enhance the pace and flexibility of command and control of naval strike and amphibious forces. It also provides the blueprint for integrating multinational strike or maritime groups for contingency and defensive operations over long distances.
The main objectives of the exercise, according to the release, are maintaining freedom of navigation and maneuver in NATO’s area of operations, securing strategic maritime chokepoints, conducting deterrence and vigilance and increasing the interoperability in operational domains (e.g. air-land-integration), as well as fostering NATO’s capabilities to enable wide-reaching multi-domain operations.
“It is a long-planned activity conducted in compliance with international laws and standards, and scheduled independently from any current developments in the Middle East. It is defensive in nature and not directed towards any third party,” reads the release.
Around 20 surface vessels and submarines, Special Forces and numerous aircraft are participating in NEST 24-2 with some 15,000 supporting personnel, according to the release.
In the Mediterranean, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, which oversees the exercise, embarked its staff on the command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) to demonstrate the ability to deploy a self-sufficient mobile command element anywhere, at any time.
Two Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESG) will carry out amphibious landings as part of the drills. Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) and amphibious landing dock ship USS Oak Hill (LSD-51) together with their embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) elements will form one ESG while the other ESG will be the Turkish Navy Anadolu ESG.
The release did not state the composition of the Anadolu ESG only stating that amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu (L-400) along with an embarked Turkish Marine battalion and its surface escorts are participating. Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu (F-493) and corvette TCG Burgazada (F-513) are taking part in the exercise with Anadolu, according to a Turkish Ministry of Defence social media post.
Italian Navy’s Cavour Carrier Strike Group will take part in some portions of NEST 24-2. The Cavour CSG, consisting of carrier ITS Cavour (550), frigate ITS Alpino (F594) and multipurpose combat ship ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432), is currently homeward bound following a deployment to the Indo-Pacific
The Mediterranean-deployed Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) are also taking part in the exercise. SNMG2 is led by Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH339) with Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Cristóbal Cólon (F105) and fleet oiler ESPS Cantabria (A15) and Hellenic Navy frigate HS Aigaion (F-460) joining. SNMCMG2 is led by Romanian Navy minelayer ROS Vice Admiral Constantin Balescu (274) with other ships being Italian Navy minehunter ITS Alghero (M5556), Spanish Navy minehunter ESPS Tajo (M36) and Turkish Navy minehunter TCG Akcakoca (M286). SNMCMG2 carried out mine countermeasures operations in the vicinity of Sazan Island, Albania, in support of the Anadolu ESG as part of the exercise.
The Harry S. Truman and UK CSGs earlier joined together during the Royal Navy-led exercise Strike Warrior 2024, which wrapped up on Sunday, according to a Royal Navy release. The UKCSG consists of carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33), frigates HMS Portland (F79) and HMS Iron Duke (F234) and an Astute-class submarine. Fleet oilers RFA Tidespring (A136) and RFA Tidesurge (A138), both operating independently of the UKCSG, participated in the joint sail with the Harry S. Truman CSG.
The Harry S. Truman CSG is made up of carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and destroyers USS Stout (DDG-55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG-1090. Stout and Jason Durham detached from the CSG to conduct operations in the Barents Sea with Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida (F334), which is part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), filling in.
Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.
USINDOPACOM forces perform operations in and around critical sea passages and trade thoroughfares to deter threats that create regional instability and impinge on the free flow of goods, people, and ideas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James Finney)
By Caitlyn Burchett – Stars and Stripes • September 20, 2024
WASHINGTON – The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and a force of 6,5000 sailors will deploy next week on a mission that is expected to take the warship’s strike group into the Middle East, Navy officials announced Friday. The Truman and the other ships in its strike group will leave early next week from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. and Naval Station Mayport, Fla., according to U.S. Fleet Forces. The carrier strike group includes Carrier Air Wing 1 with nine aviation squadrons, the Ticonderoga-class, guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, and two Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyers, the USS Stout and the USS Jason Dunham. The strike group has spent recent months training in the western Atlantic Ocean for a rare, pre-planned deployment expected to take the ship into the hostile environment of the Red Sea. U.S. sailors and allied nations have fought almost daily for months to down drones and missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen as tensions in the Middle East have raged on for nearly a year. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in October 2023 was ordered to sail to the region after a deadly attack on Israel by Hamas militants. Following the attack, Iran and proxy forces have targeted maritime merchants and shipping traffic in the Red Sea. In the past year, Defense Secretary Llyod Austin has twice ordered two carriers to the region, as well as bolstering U.S. forces with an amphibious ready group and a nuclear-powered submarine. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower joined the Ford in the winter before the Ford returned to Norfolk. The Eisenhower completed an eight-month deployment to the region in July, being relieved by San Diego-based carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. In August, Austin ordered the extension of the Roosevelt as well as directed the USS Abraham Lincoln, also a West Coast-based carrier, to the Red Sea. The Roosevelt and the Lincoln’s time in the region overlapped by about three weeks before the Roosevelt was ordered to return home. The Lincoln and its strike group are still in the region. The Truman will transit to the Middle East with a strike force of 90 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, E-2D Hawkeye command and control aircraft, E/A18 Growler electronic warfare jets, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. “They know that they’re most likely going to be entering a weapon engagement zone,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, the leader of Navy Fleet Forces Command, said during a rare Miami Fleet Week appearance in May. The Fleet Week appearance was wedged into training ahead of what is expected to be an intense deployment. “I believe, personally, that puts higher stakes on why what we do [in training] is so important,” Caudle said in May. “For this group, this [deployment] is not with the mindset that they’re just going to go drill holes in the water somewhere — this is, ‘We’re going to be employed for combat.’” CAITLYN BURCHETT Caitlyn Burchett covers defense news at the Pentagon. Before joining Stars and Stripes, she was the military reporter for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. She is based in Washington, D.C.
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-09-20/truman-aircraft-carrier-deploy-middle-east-15244264.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=94eba747b1-Newsletter+-+Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0ab8697a7f-94eba747b1-296803338 Source – Stars and Stripes
SASEBO, Japan (Sept. 19, 2024) USS San Diego, previously originally based out of San Diego, moves to Sasebo to join the Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan (FDNF-J) as part of a permanent change of station. Maintaining an FDNF capability with the most advanced ships supports the United States’ commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the vital Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Darian Lord)
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to Seattle, Sunday, after 285 days away from the cutter’s home port.
Following a 138-day deployment to Antarctica supporting Operation Deep Freeze 2024, the Polar Star reported directly to Mare Island Dry Dock (MIDD) LLC. in Vallejo, California, to commence the fourth phase of a five-year Service Life Extension Project (SLEP).
The work completed at MIDD is part of the in-service vessel sustainment program with the goal of recapitalizing targeted systems, including propulsion, communication, and machinery control systems, as well as effecting significant maintenance to extend the cutter’s service life.
Polar Star’s SLEP work is completed in phases to coordinate operational commitments such as the cutter’s annual Antarctic deployment. Phase four began on April 1, 2024, targeting three systems:
Boiler support systems were recapitalized, including the electrical control station that operates them.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system was refurbished through the overhaul of ventilation trunks, fans and heaters that supply the cutter’s berthing areas.
The flooding alarm system was redesigned, providing the ability to monitor machinery spaces for flooding from bow to stern.
Additional work not typically completed every dry dock included removing and installing the starboard propulsion shaft, servicing and inspecting both anchor windlasses, inspecting and repairing anchor chains and ground tackle, cleaning and inspecting all main propulsion motors and generators, installation of an isolation valve to prevent seawater intrusion into the sanitary system, and overhauling the fuel oil purifier.
Phase four of Polar Star’s SLEP took place over approximately 140 days and represented a total investment of $16.8 million. By replacing outdated and maintenance-intensive equipment, the Coast Guard will mitigate lost mission days caused by system failures and unplanned repairs. The contracted SLEP work items and recurring maintenance is taking place within a five-year, annually phased production schedule running from 2021 through 2025.
The Coast Guard is investing in a new fleet of polar security cutters (PSC) that will sustain the service’s capabilities to meet mission needs in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The SLEP allows Polar Star to continue providing access to the Polar regions until the PSCs are operational and assume the high latitude missions. Polar security cutters will enable the U.S. to maintain defense readiness in the Polar regions; enforce treaties and other laws needed to safeguard both industry and the environment; provide ports, waterways and coastal security; and provide logistical support – including vessel escort – to facilitate the movement of goods and personnel necessary to support scientific research, commerce, national security activities and maritime safety.
“Completing a dry dock availability is a positive milestone, and despite challenges due to being away from home port, our crew’s energy and resilience inspires me every day,” said Capt. Jeff Rasnake, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “The amount of time and effort put into Polar Star and its mission is truly remarkable. The dedication and teamwork displayed across all stakeholders exemplifies the Coast Guard’s flexibility and commitment to ensuring the continued success of Operation Deep Freeze as well as strengthened partnerships among nations invested in the Antarctic latitudes. I look forward to observing how this crew will continue to grow as a team and to discovering what we can accomplish together.”
Along with the rigorous maintenance schedule, Polar Star held a change of command ceremony on July 8, 2024, in Vallejo, where Rasnake relieved Capt. Keith Ropella as the cutter’s commanding officer. Rasnake served as the deputy director for financial management procurement services modernization and previously served as Polar Star’s executive officer. Ropella transferred to the office of cutter forces where he will oversee the management of the operational requirements for the cutter fleet and develop solutions for emerging challenges facing the afloat community.
Polar Star is the Coast Guard’s only active heavy polar icebreaker and is the United States’ only asset capable of providing year-round access to both polar regions.
Commissioned in 1976, the cutter is 399 feet, weighing 13,500 tons with a 34-foot draft. Despite reaching nearly 50 years of age, Polar Star remains the world’s most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker with the ability to produce up to 75,000 horsepower. Polar Star’s SLEP is important to the survival of the Antarctic mission and crucial to the well-being and success of Polar Star and crew during these long missions.
SURAGA BAY, Japan (Sept. 14, 2024) Forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) passes Mount Fuji during Transport Exercise (TRANSPORTEX), Sept. 14. TRANSPORTEX is a humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise, further enhancing interoperability between the U.S. and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, enabling a combined rapid response force in the event of crisis or natural disaster. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo illustration by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kenneth Melseth)
The following is the Sept. 14, 2024, commissioning ceremony of the attack submarine USS New Jersey (SSN-796).
From the Navy
New Jersey is the first fast attack submarine designed for a fully integrated male and female crew and is the third U.S. Navy ship named after the state of New Jersey, the most recent being the decorated battleship BB-62 which saw action during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. New Jersey and crew operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 8.
The submarine is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and is able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots. New Jersey has a crew of nearly 135 Navy personnel.
Speakers at the commissioning ceremony included New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding and Larry Runkle, vice president of General Dynamics Electric Boat. Adm. William Houston, director of the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion program, served as the senior Naval officer and Submarine Force commander Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher as the presiding officer. Sub commander Cmdr. Steve Halle also spoke. Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Hutchison, the ship’s executive officer, served as master of ceremonies.
HMS Iron Duke held an open day in Jersey to show the public the inner workings of a Royal Navy warship (Picture: Jersey Harbours/ Ollie Voak)
The crew of HMS Iron Duke welcomed residents of Jersey aboard to show them how a Royal Navy warship operates.
The 4,900-tonne Type 23 Duke Class frigate docked on the Channel Island where she opened her doors to the public, brought local Sea Cadets onboard and held a reception for visitors.
“We have a brilliant affiliation with Jersey and are looking forward to a host of activities: Ship open to visitors, STEM visits, meeting Sea cadets and hosting a reception,” said HMS Iron Duke on social media.
“It’s great to have HMS Iron Duke in Jersey to strengthen her close ties to the community and showcases her commitment to maritime security,” said the Ports of Jersey.
She recently sailed down the River Elbe to Hamburg and held a similar Open Ship Day for the German public.
Earlier this month HMS Iron Duke and HMS Tyne were deployed to monitor four Russian Navy vessels as they sailed through the Channel and the North Sea.
It’s great to have @HMSIronDuke in Jersey to strengthen her close ties to the community and showcases her commitment to maritime security.
You can go onboard today between 3pm & 4pm. Head to Elizabeth Terminal and follow the directions.
