HMS IRON DUKE in action off the coast of Africa. The Ops Officer wrote the following: Dear Danny, I thought you may like to see what work we have been busy with since we left UK waters. We have steamed around 4369 miles so far, conducted visits to Tenerife, Cape Verde, conducted Maritime Security Operations and focussed on the constant high level of training required to keep ourselves sharp and operationally capable. In all port visits we hosted formal events with foreign dignitaries – including 3 high profile CO’s Dinners. In Cape Verde, where we happened to visit at the same time as the national Independence Day, we worked closely with the Cape Verde Coastguard and conducted a large counter-piracy and narcotics capability demonstration in front of a crowd of nearly 1000, and were invited to sit as VIPs for the Presidential Independence Day Parade. In Conakry, Guinea, a port not visited by the RN for 15 years, we conducted an extensive and broad range of capacity building activities with the Guinea Navy and Prefecture Maritime, hosted a cross-governmental Maritime Security conference, trained aspects of the Navy and conduct at-sea Maritime Security Exercises with Guinea’s Patrol Boats and helped the inaugural mission of their newly chartered Maritime Fisheries Patrol Surveillance Aircraft. A large (and heavily over-subscribed) team from the ship spent 4 days at the local Sabu school conducting renovations and finding huge goodwill amongst the local people. A formal Capability Demonstration and Reception was conducted for a broad range of VIPs, Diplomatic staff, NGO’s local dignitaries and commanders, and included a Ceremonial Sunset with Guard and our Captain’s speech in French! (not Jersey-French sadly!)
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 20:25:35 +0000
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