BEING put through their paces right now off Plymouth are the nation’s flagship and her trusty escort as they prepare for the Navy’s headline deployment of 2011.In April HMS Albion will lead the Cougar task group, an amphibious force heading to the Mediterranean and east of Suez to work with the UK’s allies.
At her side will be HMS Sutherland, charged with protecting the flagship from attacks by air and sea... not entirely unlike 2010.
Last year the Type 23 headed to the USA with Ark Royal and Albion as escort. Ark, sadly, has passed into history. The assault ship has not – and she needs safeguarding.
Just in case any skills have faded aboard the Albion and Sutherland since they returned from the United States in August, they’ve been given some ‘top-up training’ (the official term is Directed Continuation Training) courtesy of the team at FOST...
...which basically entails fire, flood, battle damage, some dodgy pirates, the odd missile attack, a few fast patrol boats, screaming Hawks, screaming PWOs. You get the picture.
Not that Sutherland’s passive in all this. She’s also let loose with her upper deck guns. And the crowdpleaser (also known as the 4.5in main gun).
4.5in main gun. And the upper deck guns.
“The scenarios played out whilst conducting sea training are extremely credible and it takes little imagination to realise what is at stake,” says Sutherland’s CO Cdr Roger Readwin.
“I have never been more aware that individually we are strong but collectively we represent a formidable force which is able to reassure and protect, in order to maintain peace and security where our future operations takes us.”
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