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The Only US Navy Warship Authorized to Fly a Foreign Flag at Sea

(U.S. Navy)

Military.com | By Blake Stilwell

You might be thinking to yourself, “Didn’t we fight a whole war to keep American sailors from working under a British flag?” Well, it’s been a long time since the War of 1812, and relations between the United States and the United Kingdom have changed significantly since then. Not only is this warship the only vessel in the U.S. Navy‘s fleet to fly a foreign flag, but it’s also the only ship with an officer from Britain’s Royal Navy aboard as a permanent member of the ship’s company to ensure proper navigation — all meant to honor the “British Bulldog,” Winston Churchill.

Commissioned in 2001, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill was named for the famous prime minister who led Britain through World War II and has been permitted to fly the Royal Navy’s White Ensign — a red St. George’s Cross on a white field with a Union flag in the canton — during special occasions. 

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(U.S. Navy photo)

A ship’s ensign is the largest flag flying aboard the vessel and denotes the nationality of the ship. When the USS Winston Churchill flies the Royal Navy’s ensign, it’s hoisted from the port side of the mast, with the American flag on the starboard side. During its normal operations, only the Stars and Stripes are raised.

At the time of its commissioning, the Winston Churchill cost $1 billion and was one of the most advanced destroyers in the fleet. Like the other 73 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, it’s designed to be able to deliver a high-intensity ass-kicking to targets in the air, on land or at sea while defeating anti-ship missiles and torpedoes and jamming enemy radar — an impressive armament worthy of the ship’s namesake.

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The Churchill is the fifth ship in the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of a Briton, though the former prime minister was made an honorary American citizen in 1963, two years before his death. It’s also the first to be named for an Englishman since the end of the American Revolution. Churchill’s daughter, Lady Mary Soames, was present at the ship’s commissioning ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, and served as an honorary sponsor for the United Kingdom. Its motto, “In war: Resolution. In peace: Good Will” is drawn from the epigraph of Churchill’s book, “The Second World War.”

Churchill’s Royal Navy officer was originally part of an exchange. The United States kept one of its naval officers aboard the Royal Navy’s HMS Marlborough, until that ship was decommissioned in 2005. The Type 23 frigate was named for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, of which Winston Churchill is a descendant. The Marlborough had the distinction of being the first ship on the scene to assist the USS Cole after it was attacked in 2000. Today, Prime Minister Churchill’s own descendants maintain close contact with the USS Winston Churchill and its crew.

Descendants of Winston S. Churchill pose for a photo in the chiefs mess aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Winston Churchill (DDG 81) during a reception ceremony and tour on March 25, 2015. (Danica Phillips/U.S. Navy photo)

Though it’s one of the older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the Churchill is likely to remain in service for years to come, having just completed a multimillion-dollar modernization effort in 2023. Although 19 more destroyers of its class are planned or under construction, it’s likely to be the only one flying the Royal Navy’s white ensign – – unless we can think of another Briton on par with Winston Churchill.

— Blake Stilwell can be reached at [email protected]. He can also be found on Facebook, X or on LinkedIn.

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The story of – HMS Holcombe was a Hunt class destroyer ordered as part of the war emergency construction programme and launched in Glasgow in April 1942. She is the only RN warship to have carried the name and had a career lasting less than two years, one of 132 British destroyers lost during the Second World War.

Royal Navy remembrance 2023. We will remember them.

As we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in service of their country, here we look at one example from the thousands of sacrifices made by the sailors of the Royal Navy.

HMS Holcombe was a Hunt class destroyer ordered as part of the war emergency construction programme and launched in Glasgow in April 1942. She is the only RN warship to have carried the name and had a career lasting less than two years, one of 132 British destroyers lost during the Second World War.

On 12th December 1943, a Sunday afternoon, almost 80 years ago, HMS Holcombe and her gallant crew were in action in the Mediterranean. She was one of six naval escorts for a slow convoy of merchant ships that had departed from Gibraltar on 9th December 1943 bound for Egypt. Her sister ship HMS Tynedale, part of the same convoy escort, had been torpedoed with the loss of 7 officers and 63 men earlier that day.

HMS Holcombe
HMS Holcombe – 168 men served on board this small 1,480-tonne vessel. (Image: IWM).

While north-east of Bougie, Algeria and hunting for the submarine that had conducted the attack, Holcombe signalled she had an ASDIC contact and was altering course. A minute later the ship was struck by a Gnat (homing torpedo) fired from a German U-boat, U-593. An explosion blew her stern off and a second magazine explosion accelerated her sinking. She went down rapidly stern-first with her bow sticking up vertically. It took just 4 minutes and 17 seconds for HMS Holcombe to disappear taking 81 men with her. The 87 surviving crew were rescued by American destroyer USS Wainwright.

The names of those lost on the Holcombe are recorded on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and are listed here, the youngest three sailors being just 19 years old.

HMS Tynedale in Plymouth Sound c1941 (with barrage ballons just visible over the city in the background). One of many warships that have sailed from Plymouth, never to return, she was hit by a torpedo and broke in two. Despite rescue efforts by other ships, 73 of her crew died (Photo: IWM).

The following day, USS Wainwright and HMS Calpe located U-593 and depth charged her to the surface. The crew of the U-boat were extremely fortunate as all 51 on board were rescued, becoming prisoners of war. Overall the casualty rate for U-Boat crews was something like 75%. Of around 37,000 German submariners who served, 28,000 were lost and 5,000 were taken prisoner.

In an act of friendship and reconciliation, the survivors of HMS Tyndale invited the CO of U-593, Kapitänleutnant Gerd Kelbling and one of his former crew to the 50th-anniversary commemoration of the sinking held in 1993 in Hexham, England.

Donations can be made to the Royal British Legion here or the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity here.

First Veterans Day Holiday in 1954 on board the USS Missouri (BB-63)



Armistice Day commemorated the agreement to end hostilities in World War I–signed by the Allied nations and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. In 1954, Representative Ed Rees (KS) introduced a bill into Congress to establish the holiday to honor all veterans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed HR7786 into law on 1 June 1954 and issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation on 8 October 1954. The first Veterans Day was celebrated that November.

This is an image of the naturalization procedure that occurred on board the USS Missouri (BB-63) on that first Veterans Day in 1954. It was the first time a federal court session was held on board a battleship. Immigrants soon to be naturalized can be seen seated in the foreground. 

When this photograph was taken, the Missouri was at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She arrived there in mid-September 1954 and remained there during the inactivation period until her decommissioning on 26 February 1955.

The photograph was given to the Institute by Mrs. Sybil-Carmen North (wife of Commander James North, the Missouri’s last commanding officer before the 1955 decommissioning) and used in the Naval Institute Press book Battleship Missouri by Paul Stillwell (page 234). 

We at the Naval Institute salute all those who served and are serving still in the far corners of the earth!
Peter H. Daly VADM, USN (Ret.),
CEO & Publisher
Life Member and member since 1978

The Last Post and the vital role it plays during Remembrance

Laura Skitt

8th November 2023 at 4:03pm

Watch: A brief history of The Last Post
https://players.brightcove.net/2685123856001/Hy7Zehglog_default/index.html?videoId=6340614689112

The Last Post’s solemn sound can stop people in their tracks, immediately reminding them of the ultimate sacrifice made by military personnel throughout history. 

Universally known as the sound most closely associated with Remembrance, the Last Post marks the start of a period of thoughtful silence. 

The short fanfare, which is traditionally played either on a bugle or trumpet, immediately unites those within earshot, allowing their thoughts to momentarily rest on memories of their loved ones or the sacrifices made by strangers for their freedom.

When did the Last Post come into existence? 

Th Last Post was created for the British Army in the late 18th century by a now-unknown composer, and was originally just one of many bugle calls that were performed to regulate a soldier’s day. 

At this point in history, soldiers had no easy way to check the time as the first wristwatch was created in 1810 for the Queen of Naples.

Instead, they relied on the attention-grabbing sound of Reveille to let them know it was time to get up.

Bugle played on Armistice Day 2020 at the Cenotaph in London which was recovered from the Somme in 1915 101120 CREDIT MOD
This bugle, which was recovered from the Somme in 1915, was played on Armistice Day 2020 at the Cenotaph in London (Picture: MOD)

The Last Post bugle call signified the duty officer had completed his inspection and the camp was secure for the night. 

It took another 50 years for the Last Post to be played for soldiers who had died overseas, marking their final journey home and symbolising the end of the dead soldier’s duty. 

The mournful melody became commonplace on the battlefield in conflicts such as the Boer War and the First World War. 

The tradition of honouring fallen soldiers both overseas and at home increased in popularity during the early 20th century. 

LCpl Yassen from the Band of the Rifles plays the Last Post near the Forth Bridge in 2017 CREDIT Crown Copyright
LCpl Yassen from the Band of the Rifles plays the Last Post near the Forth Bridge (Picture: Crown Copyright)

When is the Last Post played now? 

Today, the Last Post is a focal point during Remembrance services around the world and at military funerals. 

Since 2 July 1928, the bugle call has been performed every night at 8pm in Belgium under the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s Menin Gate memorial in Ypres by members of The Last Post Association. 

During the inauguration of the Menin Gate memorial in 1927, buglers from 2nd Battalion, the Somerset Light Infantry had the honour of sounding the first Last Post. 

In addition, the Last Post is performed when the Tower of London gates are locked at 10pm every night. 

Image ID 45150476 A bugler plays the Last Post at a Remembrance Service in Lashkar Gah, Helmand, Afghanistan in November 2007 CREDIT Crown Copyright
A bugler plays the Last Post at a Remembrance Service in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, in November 2007 (Picture: Crown Copyright)

Which words traditionally accompany The Last Post? 

The words spoken after the Last Post is played and directly before the silence come from the well-known fourth stanza from For The Fallen, a poignant poem written by academic and poet Laurence Binyon in September 1914.

He was so moved by the devastatingly high number of casualties from the First World War that he put pen to paper to express his and the nation’s grief. 

Once described by Rudyard Kipling as “the most beautiful expression of sorrow in the English language”, the poem is recited at every Remembrance Sunday, strengthening our determination to never forget the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Image ID 45156080 The shadow of a Royal Marine bugler, playing the Last Post, is cast upon the memorial at camp Bastion in Afghanistan in 2011 CREDIT Crown Copyright
The shadow of a Royal Marine bugler, playing the Last Post, is cast upon the memorial at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in 2011 (Picture: Crown Copyright).

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, 

We will remember them.

Image ID 3379331 Student Enrique Babilonia plays the Last Post in Buxton, North Carolina on 11 May 2017 CREDIT US Coast Guard
The Last Post is performed in North Carolina to mark the 75th anniversary of the loss of British and Canadian sailors from HMS Bedfordshire and the British merchant vessel San Delfino following a German submarine attack (Picture: US Coast Guard)

Why is the Last Post performed at Remembrance services? 

Wherever you are in the world – be it at the Cenotaph in London or on deployment thousands of miles away – the Last Post signifies the start of the two-minute silence, a time for peaceful reflection often ending with the playing of Reveille. 

This momentary pause immediately connects us to the war dead of the past and their sacrifices for the many freedoms we enjoy today. 

The ceremony is followed by the traditional laying of wreaths. 

Barnsley bugler Paul Goose sounds the Last Post 130820 CREDIT BFBS.jpg
Paul Goose sounds the Last Post in 2020.

What is it like to perform the Last Post? 

Always front and centre at some of the Armed Forces’ most important ceremonial occasions, the lone bugler plays a pivotal role. 

Paul Goose, a Light Infantry veteran and bugler, spoke to Forces News about what it feels like to perform the Last Post, saying: “It’s a slow tune, it does give you time to reflect. 

“A lot of people shed a lot of tears to it. 

“I’ve shed tears to it while I’ve been playing at times. 

“It does reflect on people’s lives and the people who they lost.” 

The mournful melody helps us to remember the sacrifices made by those who fought and died for their country.

Royal Navy ceremonial training officer to put emotions aside in final Remembrance event

Claire Sadler

10th November 2023 at 10:08am

https://players.brightcove.net/2685123856001/Hy7Zehglog_default/index.html?videoId=6340619987112

Watch: After seven years in post, the Royal Navy’s State Ceremonial Training Officer is stepping down.

Every year, hundreds of servicemen and women proudly march on Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday, remembering those who died while serving their country.

But the pomp, precision and professionalism on display must be rehearsed to the finest detail.

For seven years, Warrant Officer 1 Darren ‘Eddie’ Wearing has been in charge of training Royal Navy personnel for the big day  at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth.

But this year’s ceremony, where WO1 Wearing will lead Royal Navy personnel on and off the Cenotaph, will be his last.

The Navy has been preparing for the occasion for the past three weeks, and WO1 Wearing said his emotions were mixed ahead of his final Remembrance Sunday.

“Obviously, it’s such an honour to be a part of Remembrance… and it’s an honour to have been in this role since 2015, but it’s very much mixed [emotions] at the moment,” he told Forces News.

Watch below: Cenotaph cleaned and protected ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
https://players.brightcove.net/2685123856001/Hy7Zehglog_default/index.html?videoId=6339898669112

“Obviously I’ve got a job to do, so I have to put my own emotions aside if I can, which is sometimes quite difficult, but I think my emotions are probably going to hit its peak on Sunday when I march off the Cenotaph for the very last time.”

WO1 Wearing said as the Royal Navy’s State Ceremonial Training Officer, Remembrance is “the one”.

“That is the bit where I feel honoured and privileged to be a part of Remembrance and that’s what it’s all about.”

But he said “having the honour and the privilege to conduct my final duty to Her Majesty the Queen” had been a highlight. 

“I think nothing surpasses that, she was just such a role model to all of us in the Armed Forces, especially with us being the senior service, and I think it’s something that I’ll never forget,” WO1 Wearing said.

‘It’s time to move on’

Ahead of his final Remembrance Sunday in the role, he said the Navy personnel’s training had been exceptional, adding: “I’m sure they’ll put on an excellent parade on Sunday.

“I’ll be leading the Navy on to the Cenotaph and leading them back off at the end of the Remembrance parade.”

But he added: “It’s time to move on, it’s time to go and do other things and pass over the baton.”

Ex RNZN -Weathering the storm: Sharks, booze, hard times and other tales from a navy veteran

Helen Harvey05:00, Nov 11 2023

Graeme Lowe, a New Zealand Navy veteran and RSA stalwart.
VANESSA LAURIE/STUFFGraeme Lowe, a New Zealand Navy veteran and RSA stalwart.

Being a long-term president of an RSA would seem a risky job for a recovering alcoholic. But Graeme Lowe made it work.

When he was president of the New Plymouth RSA he had a chat with all the bar staff and told them not to sell him alcohol under any circumstances, he says.

“Or anybody else coming up to try and buy it for me. And that worked well. Now and again you get the idiot who thinks it’s funny to try and sneak one over you. I’ve seen it happen.”

So, if he went away from a table for a bit, leaving a half-full glass, he’d tip it out when he got back, just to be sure, he says.

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He resigned as president at the end of 2018.

These days Lowe is stuck at home with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He got sick last December and was rushed to hospital.

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“They threw me out to go home and die.”

He didn’t. And he intends to make it to his 77th birthday in May.

From his bed, Lowe’s line of vision goes to a picture on the wall of a ship he served on, HMNZS Royalist an anti-aircraft cruiser. In the 1960s Lowe did two tours of duty in Malaya with the New Zealand Navy.

He’s a navy man through and through. If he had his time again, he may not have gone in so young (he was 16) but he’d definitely still join up.

That’s where he started drinking.

“When you’re young, you’re bulletproof. You think. It was encouraged in them days, smoking, drinking.

“As long as you were at sea, cigarettes were tax-free. We used to get a beer issue as well as your rum issue at night. But you had to be 18 before you could draw your rum issue, same with beer. You had a few guys there that were teetotal.”

He’s been sober 36, going on 37 years. It’s something he’s rightfully proud of.

Temptation is always there, especially in the hot weather or when life gets a bit tough. But day to day he doesn’t usually miss it, he says.

“I didn’t like myself at all when I was drinking. I was, to be rather blunt, an a… on a merry-go-round that you can’t seem to get off. I was a slow learner, I went to treatment four or five times.”

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His last stint in rehab was with the Bridge Programme in Wellington. That worked.

“The Sallies sent me out to Akatarawa on the road between Upper Hutt and Waikanae in the middle of nowhere. At first, I wasn’t too happy about that, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I was there close on five months.”

And ever since, he’s volunteered for the Bridge programme whenever able.

Lowe has a picture of the HMNZS Royalist on the wall of his bedroom.
VANESSA LAURIE/STUFFLowe has a picture of the HMNZS Royalist on the wall of his bedroom.

It took a lot of willpower to stay off alcohol and “I did everything wrong that they say you shouldn’t do”, he says.

Like join the RSA.

The first time he joined was many years ago when he was still in the navy. But, later when he moved away from Taranaki and lived all over New Zealand, he let it drop.

Then, back in New Plymouth again, he visited to find out about a cruiser reunion he wanted to attend.

He talked to reunion organiser Trevor Wylde, who wanted to know why Lowe wasn’t a member, Lowe says.

“I said, ‘I don’t drink, no point me being a member’. He more or less pulled me by the ear. How many people in here are drinking? It was quite surprising. About a dozen in there were just drinking lolly water. That’s when I rejoined again.”

He joined the New Plymouth RSA in 1996 and went on the committee in 2004. He was president at one stage until he had a heart attack. Then he was president again from July 2014 to November 2018.

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The RSA is still important, he says, there’s a comradeship there “exactly like you had in the services, which you don’t strike any other way in civilian street”.

“And it’s not like you think. You don’t go there and people are just telling war stories. Far from it. Even on ANZAC if you do hear war stories it’s not about blood and guts. It’s about the mischief the boys would get up to.”

Like the time the HMNZS Royalist broke down on the way back to New Zealand. It was the early 1960s and the ship had been in the Pacific and up to Singapore and Malaysia.

It was during what was called the Malaya confrontation, when Indonesia disagreed on the creation of the country of Malaysia.

The cruiser ended up drifting off the Solomon Islands, he says.

In the lounge is a painting of the three ships Lowe served on during his time in the New Zealand Navy – HMNZS Royalist, HMNZS Lachlan and HMNZS Rotoiti.
VANESSA LAURIE/STUFFIn the lounge is a painting of the three ships Lowe served on during his time in the New Zealand Navy – HMNZS Royalist, HMNZS Lachlan and HMNZS Rotoiti.

“The number of sharks in the water. If you went in there you wouldn’t have lasted five seconds.”

So, they had a fishing competition and dragged in about 90 in less than an hour. Some of them were huge, he says.

Lowe now has a grandson in the navy.

“He’s done bloody well, but I don’t want to embarrass the poor bugger.”

But talking about his grandson reminds him of another story.

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Lowe and a friend were the padre’s cleaners while on shore at Tāmaki, in Auckland, he says.

“Until we found out where he kept the communion wine.”

Portrait of an active fleet – snapshot of the Royal Navy surface fleet today

Despite a slew of concerning news stories about the struggles of the service in the last few months, the RN is currently maintaining a high tempo of ships at sea on operations. Here we summarise the key activities of the surface fleet and the purpose of their deployments.

Europe

After completion of phase one of the CSG23 deployment including a successful visit to Gothenburg in Sweden, HMS Queen Elizabeth returned to Portsmouth last week with her air group still on board. She spent 96 hrs alongside apparently repairing aircraft lift chain defects and taking on stores and fuel. She sailed on the 3rd November and resumed operating in the North Sea, now under direct NATO command for the first time. She is part of exercise Neptune Strike 23-3 which spans Europe and includes Spanish and Italian capital ships also under NATO control in the Mediterranean. NEST-3 is described as part of a regular series of exercises intended to be a “tangible demonstration of the power and capability of the NATO Alliance in multi-domain operations”. F-35s from the ship are also participating in air exercise Atlantic Trident 23 which includes US jets operating from RAF Lakenheath and French jets operating from RAF Waddington and Leeming.

QNLZ will be escorted by HMS Kent which joined the deployment after missing out on the initial phase due to mechanical issues. After a successful visit to Turku, Finland where the Prime Minister spent the night on board prior to the JEF nations summit, HMS Diamond also made a brief return to Portsmouth before rejoining the CSG. On arrival in the North Sea, the CSG conducted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises with the small Norwegian submarine HNoMS Utstein, while the frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup rejoined the group. The second phase of the CSG23 deployment is expected to wrap up soon after the end of Neptune Strike on 10th November.

There has been plenty of bilateral activity with the UK’s increasingly close Norwegian allies as HMS Richmond is currently in Stavanger, (also recently visited by HMS Iron Duke) to make use of the NATO FORACS facility for calibrating warship weapons and sensors. HMS Somerset has also arrived in Norway where she is likely to embark the first load of Naval Strike Missiles direct from the Kongsberg factory and subsequently conduct the first RN fleet weapons trials of the system.

Elsewhere in the European theatre, HMS Portland has recently been operating out of Faslane, presumably conducting the unsung Towed Array Patrol Ship (TAPS) tasking on ASW duties in the North Atlantic.

  • Norwegian submarine HNoMS Utstein.

The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

There have been continued calls for the UK CSG to be sent to the Eastern Mediterranean but this option has not been taken for several good reasons. Although the media is currently fixated on events in Israel, the threat from Russia and the war in Ukraine remains of greatest consequence to the UK and Europe. Although nowhere near matching the firepower of US equivalents, retaining the UK CSG at high readiness in the European theatre makes sense. The US has the ‘big stick’ in the form of the Gerald R Ford CSG in the eastern Med and UK jets could also potentially operate from Cyprus if they were required to supplement US forces in combat operations of some kind.

The prime purpose of allied naval forces in the region is not so much to aid Israel but to ensure the conflict does not spread further and engulf the Middle East. Deterring Iran and its proxies from intervention is the priority and it should be noted that the decisive deployment of US carriers has been effective. So far the conflict between Israel and Hamas has not really spilled over beyond Israel’s borders. Until now at least, the actions of the Hezbollah Islamist terrorist group, on the northern borders of Israel have been relatively constrained, the deterrent sitting not far off the coast must be a major factor in their calculations.

There is also the threat from the south and the USS Dwight D Eisenhower CSG has now transited the Mediterranean into the Red Sea and is likely to either enter or sit outside the Persian Gulf,  primarily as a deterrent to Iran. While in the Red Sea on October 21st, destroyer USS Carney also destroyed a number of drones and missiles believed to have been launched by Houthi forces from Yemen either at Israel or possibly the ship itself.

The UK Littoral Strike Group comprising RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay arrived off Cyprus in mid-October and have been alongside in Limassol for logistic support while they await developments. Their most likely role is in conducting evacuation of civilians or delivery of humanitarian aid should this be required. Hezbollah is believed to be in possession of Iranian Noor C-802 and Russian Onyx anti-ship missiles (with ranges of 120km and 300km respectively). The auxiliaries carry Phalanx CIWS for limited self-defence (mustering 3 mounts between the two of them) but would very much need the protection of high-end air defence platforms, especially if deployed any closer to the coast of Lebanon or Israel.

The flaw in the Littoral Response Group concept was always the lack of available escorts. RFA Argus (left) sails from Gibraltar on 15th October carrying 3 Merlin Mk4 helicopters while a company of Royal Marines is embarked on RFA Lyme Bay (right).

HMS Duncan sailed from Portsmouth on 18th June and has been operating in the Mediterranean as the flagship of Standing NATO Group 2. (Apart from a two-week break in September to undertake repairs in Rota, Spain). She may now have detached from the NATO group and was briefly alongside in Limassol, presumably joining the LRG. The Type 45 destroyer is especially suited to this kind of role and would also be a valuable asset to the US forces.

It should be noted that there is still some Russian naval activity in the Eastern Mediterranean complicating the picture. Due to the lack of access to its Black Sea bases and inadequate facilities in Syria, all the Russian conventional submarines deployed in the theatre since 2021 have been forced to withdraw to the Baltic Sea bases for maintenance. It is believed an RN Astute class boat has been deployed to the Mediterranean equipped with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.

If the conflict in Israel continues for some time this will not be a problem for the RFAs that are set up to rotate crews periodically and the LRG was intended to be overseas for a long period anyway. Extending HMS Duncan’s time in the Med would be harder on her ship’s company as the Type 45s do not routinely rotate personnel. She is due home before Christmas and the RN generally tries to avoid exceeding deployments lasting 6 months. There is no Type 45 immediately ready to relieve her. HMS Dauntless is in the US while HMS Diamond is deployed with the CSG but has a reputation for being particularly mechanically unreliable. HMS Daring, Dragon and Defender are at very low readiness in Portsmouth in various stages of ‘PIPKeep’ refits.

In the Persian Gulf HMS Lancaster continues to work hard as the forward-deployed frigate while RFA Cardigan Bay is based in Bahrain with minehunters HMS Middleton, Chiddingfold and Bangor.

Atlantic

HMS Prince of Wales has completed the second phase of Westlant 23 off the US coast with the completion of F-35 Developmental Test Flying, part 3 (DT-3). This has included further trials with the F-35 carrying heavier weapon loads and in more extreme weather conditions. 60 (SRVL) rolling landings were conducted, including 10 at night. Other trials included 20 backwards landings (aircraft coming in facing towards the stern) and nearly 150 take-offs by day and night in various weather conditions and sea states. Aspects of these serials are likely classified and it will be interesting to see what details may emerge into the public domain. It should be noted that Westlant 23 is not an operational deployment but is focused on developing aviation capability for the carriers and improving interoperability with US forces. PWLS will now return to Naval Station Norfolk before commencing phase three of the tasking which will include experiments with the Mojave RPAS and other uncrewed aircraft trials later this month.

Personnel of the Integrated Test Force pose for a team photo on completion of DT-3 on board HMS Prince of Wales.

HMS Dauntless has completed her time in the Caribbean. She was primarily sent in order to be ready to provide disaster relief assistance, should one of the islands be struck by a hurricane. The hurricane season is now drawing to a close and the region appears to have escaped a serious incident this year. Dauntless has also been employed on defence engagement visits and on counter-narcotics patrols. Working with the US Coastguard she has been involved in anti-smuggling operations, intercepting drugs with a total value of around £200M. Dauntless is now alongside in Charleston, South Carolina and may later meet up with PWLS.

HMS Medway will return to the Caribbean (Atlantic Patrol Task (North)) in the coming weeks as she has been deployed in the Falklands since February while HMS Forth was refitting in Gibraltar. HMS Forth has completed refit and received the dazzle paint scheme already applied to sisters HMS Tamar and Spey. She is making her way south at the time of writing along with HMS Protector, also heading to the South Atlantic ready for the summer season in Antarctica.

Navy carries out another multi-carrier exercise, this time with Japan in the Philippine Sea

By 

ALEX WILSON

STARS AND STRIPES • November 7, 2023

An MH-60S Seahawk helicopter prepares to land aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during a multi-carrier exercise in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.

An MH-60S Seahawk helicopter prepares to land aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during a multi-carrier exercise in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)

ABOARD USS CARL VINSON IN THE PHILIPPINE SEA — The roar and rumble of fighter jets began early Sunday and carried on steadily through the night, part of a joint U.S.-Japan drill meant to showcase the two nations as a “cornerstone of peace and deterrence” in the region.

Dubbed a “multiple large deck event” by the Navy, the exercise included the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson, the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Hyuga, approximately 150 aircraft and more than 10,000 sailors in a demonstration of air and naval power in the Indo-Pacific.

But despite its scale, the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force repeatedly emphasized the training’s routine nature.

“The capabilities that you will see — and will not see — assembled here is indeed impressive; it is also somewhat routine,” Rear Adm. Pat Hannifin, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, told reporters gathered Monday aboard the Ronald Reagan. “We can, and do, bring together bilateral and multilateral forces of this size, breadth and capability many times each year across the Indo-Pacific.”

Scheduled to run until an undisclosed time this week, the exercise began Saturday about 500 to 700 nautical miles east of Luzon, Philippines, Carrier Strike Group 5 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Seth Koenig told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday.

That places the flotilla roughly 800 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan.

The aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson sail in formation with destroyers and cruisers during training in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.

The aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson sail in formation with destroyers and cruisers during training in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)

China often criticizes U.S.-led exercises in the Philippine Sea and the adjacent South China Sea as aggressive and counteractive to peace in the region. Beijing claims nearly all the South China Sea as its territorial waters.

The U.S. and Japan, on the other hand, say their presence preserves freedom of movement through the area.

The issue is a case of the “eye of the beholder,” Hannifin said, adding that both the U.S. and Japan have been operating and training in the region for decades.

“To fly, sail and operate everywhere that international law allows is what ensures that flying, sailing and operating and free trade across this region is maintained,” he told reporters. “I would suggest it is not, certainly not, provocation. This is a standard and a normal exercise of our individual nations’ capabilities.”

Hannifin added that the exercise is not aimed at deterring any specific nation, but rather to indicate the capabilities of the U.S. and its allies to “any potential adversary, regardless of who they are.”

Rear Adm. Pat Hannifin, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, speaks to reporters aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.

Rear Adm. Pat Hannifin, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, speaks to reporters aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, along with two destroyers, a frigate and a support ship, were operating several hundred miles away in the South China Sea as of Sunday, Japan’s Joint Staff said in a news release Monday.

On Sunday afternoon, the flight decks and below-decks hangars on the Ronald Reagan and Carl Vinson were buzzing with activity.

Pilots flew scores of sorties aimed at honing air-defense and air-combat skills while the escort warships practiced coordinated maneuvers and maritime strike drills. Meanwhile, U.S. and Japanese sailors swapped places to learn more about their counterparts.

That pace hardly slowed as night fell on Sunday. Aboard the Carl Vinson, F-18 Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets continued to launch and land, while mechanics labored away in the ship’s massive hangar.

Exercises like this are “demanding,” but the crew is more than capable of handling it, Petty Officer 2nd Class Rowland Smith told Stars and Stripes aboard the Carl Vinson on Sunday.

“A big challenge is definitely the temperature,” he said, referring to the hot and humid hangars he works in.

An F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter catapults from the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson during a multi-carrier exercise in the Philippine Sea, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023.

An F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter catapults from the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson during a multi-carrier exercise in the Philippine Sea, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)

Multi-carrier exercises aren’t new, but they are relatively rare when compared to other drills.

The day before the ships rendezvoused in the Philippine Sea, the USS Gerald R. Ford — the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier — and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower concluded drills in the Mediterranean Sea. The carriers and their strike groups trained Nov. 1-3 alongside two Italian frigates.

Previous multi-carrier exercises include a June 9 drill between the Ronald Reagan and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Izumo joined with Canadian and French warships for another multiple large deck event in the Philippine Sea.

China, at the time, deployed a Y-9 cargo plane fitted with surveillance equipment to the area, where it “likely tracked, monitored and gathered intelligence” on the exercise, the Chinese state-sponsored Global Times news website reported June 11, citing analysts.

author picture

ALEX WILSON

Alex Wilson covers the U.S. Navy and other services from Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., he holds a journalism degree from the University of North Florida. He previously covered crime and the military in Key West, Fla., and business in Jacksonville, Fla.

A sea change for Auckland’s event schedule

Moana Auckland will run for the first time from February 24 to March 24 next year. Photo: Supplied

The council-controlled organisation in charge of events in Auckland hopes to make waves with an annual month-long ocean festival

There are hopes that a new yearly festival focused on Auckland’s marine sector will give Auckland Council’s events arm a more sustainable and reliable pipeline of events.

The first Moana Auckland, a month-long lineup of sea-faring events, will run from February 24 to March 24 in 2024.

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Events such as the Auckland Boat Show, Z Manu World Champs, New Zealand Millennium Cup superyacht regatta, Sculpture on the Gulf, Harbour Classic and the new Wooden Boat Festival will take place at the same time, with a fan hub at the Viaduct.

Though the event hopes to bring in millions of dollars for the region and boost Auckland’s booming maritime industry, the event organisers say it also represents a big shift towards the kind of events the region relies on.

Former Tall Black Chris Simpson, the head of major events at the council-controlled Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, said over the last decade or so the organisation has relied too heavily on major events that are one-off boosts to tourism and the economy, but don’t repeat and take years to plan.

He should know – he was part of the team that started the bid for New Zealand to share the FIFA Women’s World Cup with Australia. That work began in 2008.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited head of major events Chris Simpson at the announcement of the event. Photo: Matthew Scott

Major event planning is a long-term game, Simpson said. At the moment, organisers are already looking at 2025 and beyond.

It’s also one that’s grown steeply more competitive in recent years, with New Zealand trying to match bids with Australian states that have had less budgetary constraints since the pandemic.

“Competition really heightened after our lockdown, particularly with the Australian states, who were investing in the tens of millions,” Simpson said. “It became very hard. Then others increased their hosting fee, so it all became more and more challenging.”

With last year’s annual budget from Auckland Council reducing funds to the organisation by $34.5 million and the Covid-prompted Regional Events Fund due to run out next year, the team at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited have had to rethink how they operate.

Simpson said they looked to Australia and saw how Melbourne and Sydney had a stable lineup of events that attracted visitors to the city every year.

“For us to be serious about growing global events, we need to look over the ditch and see how Australia does it,” Simpson said. “The answer is having seasonal anchor events… we should have been doing this however many years ago.”

He pointed to Vivid Sydney and the Australian Open in Melbourne as the kind of annual events Auckland should aspire to.

This year, 3.28 million people attended the Sydney festival of lights and music, which has been running for 12 years, and the Australian Open has brought crowds to Melbourne every January for 118 years.

Simpson is hoping Moana Auckland can have similar longevity.

“We looked at what kind of events can we really grow… that have a commitment for them to be here for 50 years,” he said. “And what are our points of difference? One of the lowest-hanging fruits is we are globally known for our ocean.”

The event was formally launched at the New Zealand Royal Yacht Squadron at Westhaven Marina.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown brought his own regatta – a shirt emblazoned with multi-coloured yachts. 

He told the crowd the festival would be a celebration of what made Auckland a great city to live in.

“To celebrate our connection as a city with the water is the absolute right thing to do and I congratulate Tātaki on doing this,” he said. “It is the right thing, I’ve been on and on about how we need to do more with our harbour.”

As a sailing and surfing fan, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown was enthusiastic about the event. Photo: Matthew Scott

Brown said if you went to the bottom of Queen Street and turned left, you’d find yourself in the “essence of a wonderful city” but if you turned right you’d be in “an industrial part of Czechoslovakia”.

It’s a reference to Brown’s floated idea of turning the land that the Ports of Auckland sits on into publicly useable recreation space.

New Zealand Maritime Industry Association executive director Peter Busfield said the Viaduct was the product of investment in Auckland’s maritime sector – a move being repeated by this festival.

“Going back to the year 2000, when you walked down the bottom of Queen Street and you turned left, it was Czechoslovakia also – a storage of timber of petroleum tanks,” he said. “It was actually for the America’s Cup and legislation that bypassed resource consent and built the Viaduct Harbour in a matter of 18 months, and now tourists coming to Auckland will spend three or four days there, whereas in the year 2000 they spent eight hours.”

Busfield said events meant more than the event itself – but have widespread impacts for adjacent sectors and create jobs.

“They provide lifeblood for a city in bringing international guests and provide growth… it will bring focus on New Zealand from international travellers and around the country, and indeed the marine industry itself – we’re in pretty good stead, we just need to continue to promote – and this will certainly help us.”

Over 40 percent of New Zealand’s $3 billion maritime industry operates out of Auckland.

Preliminary numbers from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited expect the festival to generate $27m for Auckland. This is projected to increase to $40m in 2025.

Most of the events under the new banner already exist, but Simpson said the connection of them all by brand and by timeframe would pay dividends.

“Already there were a lot of content and events that were all acting independently, so we’ve brought them all for one period of time,” he said. “That’s so we can target the eastern seaboard of Australia – there’s the wooden boat show… maybe the boat show on a week later.”

The hope is these visitors would decide to stay for a while – and then maybe keep on coming back.

Simpson said a yearly event is a stepping stone towards building a sustainable events schedule that can be counted on.

“Going back to the strategy, we have been a bit remiss really – the planning for big events has to go beyond election cycles and yearly budgets,” he said. “And if we can make Moana Auckland a globally known event, we can have events come to us.”

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s new strategy is investing in fewer events, but making sure they are major anchor events.

Simpson said the new threshold a regional event needed to exceed was generating at least $3m for the region.

Royal Navy frigate shadows Russian warship through English Channel

8th November 2023 at 11:27am

Admiral Grigorovich as seen from HMS Richmond
Admiral Grigorovich as seen from HMS Richmond (Picture: Royal Navy)

A Royal Navy frigate has been shadowing a Russian warship through the English Channel during the stormy conditions of Storm Ciarán. 

Plymouth-based HMS Richmond tracked Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in waters close to the UK, keeping constant watch of her in the North Sea and maintaining permanent contact.

The Type 23 frigate had been in Norway for Nato trials and training when she left to monitor the Sevastopol-based vessel, which is part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

HMS Richmond's Commanding Officer monitoring Admiral Grigorovich
HMS Richmond’s Commanding Officer monitors the Russian frigate (Picture: Royal Navy)

After first monitoring the Russian ship in the North Sea, HMS Richmond’s 185-strong crew continued to shadow Grigorovich through the Strait of Dover and down towards the Mediterranean.

Commander Chris L’Amie, HMS Richmond’s Commanding Officer, said monitoring Russian ships close to UK waters “encourages their compliance with maritime law and deters malign activity”.

“The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes,” he said.

“By maintaining a visible and persistent presence, the Royal Navy is demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the Nato alliance and maintaining maritime security, which is crucial to our national interests.”