Gunline July10 p1-3.qxd:Gunline 23/6/10 6:21 pm Page 1 Gunline - The First Point of Contact Published by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service July 2010 www.rfa.mod.uk FORT GEORGE SAILS WITH CARRIER STRIKE GROUP Second Officer Alex Cook FA Fort George arrived in exercising in the South Coast RCrombie in February this year. Exercise Areas off Plymouth, to Her crew were involved in an intense hounding the Dutch submarine period of activity, with the sole aim Walrus during the Submarine of preparing both the ship and her Command Course off Ayrshire, to crew to carry out the role of ‘R2 operations against the French Carrier Strike Auxiliary Oiler Submarine FS Perle. Even an Replenishment (AOR) platform’. Icelandic Volcano could not stop On completion of a ten week them! Contract Support Period in April, Not content with carrying 3 Fort George slipped out of the Firth Merlin helicopters, enough diesel to of Forth to resume operational fuel 166,660 cars (or sail 2.8 times tasking. With her freshly overhauled Fort George then detached from the commodore’s pennant proudly raised up around the equator!) and 100,000 engines propelling the ship towards task group, making her way to Loch the starboard forward yardarm, man days of food, RFA Fort George the Pentland Firth, she arrived on Striven, where she loaded essential signifying RFA Fort George’s Flag Ship also became the temporary home for station to carry out her first RAS cargo to support the forthcoming status to the rest of the task group. The Commodore Simon Ancona, RN and within twenty-four hours of leaving AURIGA 10 deployment, the largest ship made a very brief stop in Loch his Carrier Strike Group (CSG) staff port. After a successful transfer of joint maritime Royal Navy deployment Striven as planned, before being given whilst awaiting the return of his essential diesel and aviation fuel to of 2010. instructions to lead the remainder of the Flagship, HMS Ark Royal. The our old acquaintance, HMS Ark Late in the evening whilst on final task group departing on the 22 April Carrier Strike Lead Task Group Royal, the ship headed north westerly passage to port we heard that HMS Ark across the Atlantic Ocean for the eastern deployed from the UK comprising of to fulfil her task in providing the key Royal was being detached from the Joint seaboard, until the volcanic dust a combined force of approximately element of “maritime sustainability” Warrior task group to assist with the disruptions had lessened and Ark Royal 2,000 UK, US and French navy to the assembling Joint Warrior evacuation of British Citizens stranded could be released to rejoin the AURIGA personnel in a variety of four Royal multinational task group. in Europe as a result of the Icelandic 10 deployment. Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary We then commenced training with volcanic eruptions. Would we Back at sea we became fully ships, a French nuclear powered FOST to regenerate the ship and her accompany her? As word of Ark Royal’s integrated with the recently embarked submarine, an American Destroyer crew to the standards required for her re-tasking spread around the ship, 814 Naval Air Squadron and their three along with several rotary and fixed future programme. After passing questions were asked how this would Merlin helicopters. Known as the wing aircraft. these initial tests with flying colours, affect our programme. Initial fears of “Flying Tigers”, 814 Naval Air As the cloud of volcanic dust it was straight into an intensive RAS programme changes were soon allayed, Squadron (NAS), based at Culdrose, continued to linger in northern programme, with Fort George with command rapidly informing us that joined the “Auriga” Carrier Strike Task European airspace, keeping both satisfying the thirst of USS Barry and Fort George would now become the Group in April to take part in a multi- military and civil aircraft confined to Vicksburg amongst a host of other command platform for the initial phase national long-range maritime training the ground, Fort George took a ships, prior to completing a of AURIGA 10. exercise. From the outset of Exercise southerly route across the Atlantic mammoth eight RAS’s on the final Within hours, twenty nine personnel Auriga 10, 814 NAS honed its Anti- Ocean towards the eastern seaboard Sunday of Exercise Joint Warrior. cross decked from Ark Royal, with the Submarine Warfare (ASW) skills of the United States, to ensure that the embarked 814 NAS of Merlin helicopter could get airborne ROYALROYAL FLEETFLEET AUXILIARYAUXILIARY COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY WEBSITEWEBSITE maximising training opportunities. As we left the shelter of the Irish ForFor ServingServing MembersMembers,, theirtheir FamilyFamily andand FriendsFriends Sea and began the three thousand mile transit west, the Atlantic weather fronts began to roll in. Whilst this INFORMATION ADVICE presented challenges to both our replenishment and aviation COMMUNICATION programmes, all of these were overcome by the skill and determination of the crews, ensuring Quadriga Chasse, an anti submarine warfare exercise run over a period of www.rfacom.mod.uk 24 hours went successfully. This Continues on page 3 Gunline July10 p1-3.qxd:Gunline 1/7/10 3:01 pm Page 2 2 - Gunline Commodore Bill Walworth BAY CLASS EXHAUST MODIFICATION elcome to the The data from the tests was then computer modelled latest edition of An Exhausting Job W and used to produce the analysis data. The computer Gunline and Not a Quick Fix Job model can be used to produce further data should minor congratulations to the many contributors. In ack in 2008 issues were raised in relation to the changes be made to the design without the need to carry this edition you can read Boriginal water cooled exhaust fit on the Bay Class. out further wind tunnel testing. articles from ship’s in The issues have been with the ship since build and Work was programmed for 12 weeks and every stage of the cycle, cover: Fumes affecting personnel when mooring or commenced on RFA Mounts Bay during her RP2010 in from refit, training, manning weapons; A history of water ingress into Falmouth. The existing exhaust fit has been removed operating across the machinery; Premature failures of the system due to the and new accesses cut in the ships structure to globe, wherever the UK corrosive conditions associated with the mix of exhaust accommodate the new design. The exhaust elements has interests. We are in and water. In 2008 A & P Falmouth Contract Support have been manufactured and are being fitted by the early stages of a Team (CST) were tasked with redesigning the exhaust Darchem Engineering. Defence and Security system to address the issues. A feasibility study was Review (SDSR) which will shape the future of the undertaken by BAe Systems and while on paper things Department, the Armed Services and the RFA, while the Value for Money Review continues alongside it, a complex appeared acceptable however several concerns were situation. We continue to put the case for the RFA and the raised and had to be addressed. work of our ships continues to demonstrate our operational Although the new design runs through various areas focus and importance to Defence, however there are very of the ship and prevents the risk of fire external of the After serious financial challenges to overcome in the MOD, ductwork utilising sealing elements and insulation, We are unlikely to hear the outcome of either before the there is still a risk of an internal fire from the engine The main exhaust runs are all welded austenitic end of September. spreading through the ductwork itself. A requirement stainless steel which cannot only look nice and shiny Recent highlights have been the trip to the Gulf to by the MCA was the fitting of a fire damper in the but can also accommodate high temperatures and see the ships’ companies of RFAs CARDIGAN BAY, exhaust ducting as the exhaust transits the Diesel remain ductile. The exhaust run takes its original route LYME BAY and BAYLEAF. I enjoyed being with Generator Compartment bulkhead into the vehicle from the Diesel Generators up to new silencers which them and took the opportunity for longer discussions deck. This type of damper will be a first for the RFA are located in the original positions, these are however than time usually permits. The LSD(A)s regularly much smaller and lighter. The run then turns on 2 Deck Spot the difference host politicians and senior military officers. The through the bulkhead into the Vehicle Deck and then Secretary of State for Defence and Commander Joint fwd above the Line Handles Walkway. Where the Operations (CJO) being recent visitors. They all left ducting dips in way of the deck height change for the with a good impression after being well hosted and MCR the section of exhaust ducting goes from being seeing us in action. DILIGENCE has now joined round to ob-round in order to minimise the impact on them after her refit and she has also recently hosted headroom. The exhaust runs continues fwd before CJO. This brings the number of ships at sea on operations and standing overseas commitments to Before going vertical up through the Rations Store and Life seven, with FORT GEORGE and LARGS BAY part and its operation will undoubtedly feature in SoPs Jacket Store Once the exhaust penetrates 1 deck just of the AURIGA Carrier Strike Task Group on the covering a Main DG Compartment Fire. As with the fit fwd of the Flight Deck gantry the stack is self other side of the Atlantic. Our other running ships are in general this is a bespoke damper which will undergo supporting.