2017-07-17
The UK Royal Navy and Marines have trained alongside partner nations’ navies during a deployment on board a French amphibious ship.
And they have done so in the Pacific where there is a growing amphibious capability being created by partner nations.
According to an article published by the UK Ministry of Defence on July 14, 2017:
Around 60 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel exercised with their counterparts from other countries during the five-month annual French naval deployment to the Indian Ocean and Far East, including the first ever four-part maritime exercise involving France, Japan, the UK and US.
The two-staged exercise named Forager Deux and Arc 17 took place in the sea and in the skies near to Japan, Guam, and Tinian, with the purpose of enhancing joint operating between the UK and international partners and deepening Defence cooperation.
In addition to UK maritime personnel, the exercise also included two Royal Navy Merlin Mk3 helicopters from the UK’s Commando Helicopter Force, which as part of a week-long practice assault moved 330 French, Japanese and American troops to and from Tinian.
Pictured with FS Courbet is a Merlin Mk3A helicopter of 845 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) working from the flight deck onboard FS Mistral in the Far East.
Two Merlin Mk3A helicopters and personnel 845 NAS are embarked on FS Mistral as part of the French Jeanne D’Arc 17 (JDA 17) task group in the Far East. 845 NAS, part of Commando Helicopter Force are based at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset are embarked on the French Ship to provide aviation support for duration of the deployment. May 23, 2017.
UK forces have been on board French assault ship FS Mistral since March as part of the Jeanne d’Arc 2017 French task group, which has visited Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan, Guam, Australia and Vietnam.
Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:
“Working shoulder-to-shoulder with French forces, as well as personnel from other partners’ navies, shows the flexibility of our world class Armed Forces.
“The Royal Navy and Royal Marines play an important role carrying out Britain’s commitment to international maritime security, as well as protecting our own shores.”
Several instalments of training and Defence Engagement have taken place as part of this deployment.
This week, UK personnel worked alongside French and Egyptian armed forces when the Jeanne D’Arc task group arrived in Egypt to take part in Exercise Cleopatra. The cross-decking exercise, which saw UK Merlins land on the Egyptian warship ENS Nasser, was the latest in a series of multilateral amphibious exercises that the UK has taken part in throughout the five month deployment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-and-royal-marines-train-alongside-partner-naval-forces