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).

Exercise Cold Response

A UK amphibious task group is heading for the Arctic Circle to take part in a multinational NATO exercise called Cold Response. The exercise led by Norway will be in arctic warfare obviously. HMS Albion, HMS Ocean and RFA Mounts Bay are the British ships taking part and will link up with Royal Marine 45 Commando which is already in Norway.

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).