Briefings : Typhoon problems, Reaper, Brazil

• The RAF suspended all flights by its fleet of Typhoon fighters because of problems with their ejector seats. This is following the death of a Saudi pilot during the crash of a Typhoon in Spain last month when a fault was discovered with the harness in the investigation. All Typhoon operators restricted operations and now modifications have been made to the ejector seats to allow flights to resume.
• The RAF's latest Reaper has arrived in Afghanistan to support operations there. With this extra UCAV the RAF can now have multiple Reaper operations at any one time over the country.
• The Royal Marines have been conducting joint-exercises with their Brazilian counterparts off the coast of Brazil. The bounty of this co-operation could be a big order for British warships by the Brazilians who may buy the Type 26 according to some reports. France and Italy are also trying to get a piece of Brazil's plan to modernise its surface fleet.

Briefings : Talent, Marines, Hawk

• RN submarine HMS Talent is taking part in war games with the Indian Navy. The Telegraph is reporting that the RN are furious at this leak of details as the whereabouts of Royal Navy ships is usually not disclosed... apart from on the many news stories published on the MOD's own website of course.
• The Royal Marines of the Fleet Protection Group has also been in training in a variety of vessels including jet-skis in rather less warm waters, the Clyde to be exact.
• Part of the RAF's Hawk trainer fleet has been grounded following problems found with the elector seat on one aircraft during an inspection. All aircraft with a Mark 10 ejector seat will not be cleared to fly until they have been inspected.
• Part of the latest Astute submarine Audacious has been moved between different parts of BAE Systems facilities in Barrow. The 800 ton section had to be moved along the road, as you can imagine it had right-of-way.
• Flight tests for the STOVL JSF fighter, which the UK will buy, are behind schedule because of a higher than expected failure rate of components.

Video : 40 Commando Royal Marines on boat patrol at Kajaki

Royal Marines from 40 Commando in Afghanistan don't often have to call on their skills as an amphibious unit. But around Kajaki, their ability to operate on the water as well on the land makes them an especially useful force...

Amphibious force joins Auriga

The Royal Navy's amphibious task group has left port to join up with US and French naval forces off the east coast of the US to take part in the Auriga deployment. HMS Albion and HMS Ocean will join in exercises with the US Navy and USMC. 3 Commando RM will take part in some exercises at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. HMS Ark Royal is already with Auriga (acting as flagship) and has embarked 12 USMC Harriers (we don't have many left of our own). FAA pilots will be flying USN F-18s however in preparation for flying the JSF (one day - we hope).

Briefings : Exercise, Russian bomber, MAV

The MOD have a photo gallery from Operation Cold Response currently being held in Norway. The Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Marines took part in an amphibious assault.

Russia, having got it's next generation fighter the T-50 into the air, will switch it's attention to a new strategic bomber to replace the Bear and the Blackjack in the next decade PM Putin has said. Meanwhile 3 more T-50s will be built before the end of the year.

The USAF is working on a "killer micro-drone" called Anubis with AeroVironment, a killer MAV that can engage high-value manovering targets, like insurgent leaders in pick-up trucks? The Royal New Zealand Air Force's display team, the Red Checkers, have been grounded following a minor mid-air collision.

Exercise South West Sword

Royal Navy ships and Royal Marines have begun an amphibious exercise off the South West coast of Britain. South West Sword involves HMS Albion, RFA Mounts Bay and 42 Commando Royal Marines and includes a series of landings and raids along the Cornish and Devon coasts.

Taurus 09 ends in Brunei

We have been following the RN's big Taurus 09 deployment as it travelled across the world. The deployment has now ended following a final exercise, Exercise Commando Rajah at Brunei. The exercise was a major amphibious operation involving Australian and US warships as well as the RN contingent led by HMS Bulwark and HMS Ocean. Land forces deployed included 40 Commando Royal Marines, Gurkhas and ground forces from Brunei, the US and New Zealand operating in the tough jungle and river areas of Brunei.

Michael Yon recently wrote of training with the Gurkhas in the jungles of Brunei and is well worth a read.

Exercise Shomodro Torongo (Taurus 09)

Shomodro Torongo is the latest exercise involving UK forces in the big Taurus 09 deployment. While the ASW boys played hide and seek with an SSN in the Gulf HMS Bulwark and RFA Wave Ruler headed to Bangladesh where Marines from 40 Commando and 4 and 539 Assault Squadrons took part in exercises alongside their Bangladeshi counterparts in the Ganges delta.

Helicopters from 820 NAS also took part in CASEVAC support and the gathering of intelligence. RN personnel also helped to build a community house in an example of soft power.

Exercise Red Alligator (Taurus 09)

Exercise Red Alligator was a joint training exercise between UK and Saudi Arabian troops and naval forces. Royal Marines from HMS Bulwark and RFA Lyme Bay made amphibious landings alongside Saudi units north of Gizan. Saudi and RN warships also worked side by side including the refuelling of T23 HMS Somerset by a Saudi oiler.


Royal Marines prepare to fire a Javelin medium range anti-tank weapon

A full gallery is here.

Exercise Egemen (Taurus 09)

Royal Navy ships and Royal Marines from the Taurus 09 deployment have taken part (indeed the operation was run by 40 Commando) in the big Egemen exercise off the Turkish coast. As well as British and Turkish forces, Belgian, Dutch and US troops and ships were also involved. The purpose of the exercise was to deploy an entire Commando Unit ashore and maintain it for a number of days, conducting a variety of combat exercises including reconnaissance and fire support, while protecting it in a "multi-threat" environment. Turkish marines also practised non-combatant evacuation.



The exercise completed phase 1 of Taurus 09 which has now moved onto the Indian Ocean for Exercise Blue Toreador (see separate story).