The USN to have loaned the Royal Navy vessels during the Falklands

The US Naval Institute (USNI) has an interesting piece of history that may become relevant yet again in today's current events. The article describes how President Reagan was going to lend the USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) to act an Assault Carrier, Admiral Zumwalt's sea control ship concept, for the Royal Navy if they had lost one of their carriers to the Argentinians during the Falklands War. This would be the lend/leasing of equipment that at that point had not been seen in 35 years. It begs to question on how close we are still with our British Allies under the current political environment, and if we would still do the same, especially now with the RN limited to one Helicopter carrier, and the Illustrious being retrofitted to act as an additional helicopter carrier until the Queen Elizabeth II is commissioned.

USNI Article

OPSAIL 2012 West Ghent Piers cont.

The second ship moored at the West Ghent Piers was the HDMS Esbern Snare (L-17). The tour of the ship was led by a Danish Navy Marinekonstabel, or by my best translation “Seaman”. The once on the vessel the Seaman requested that I not take any pictures, and I was more than happy to oblige. The tour took us from the bridge, to the flight deck, and the internal bay of the ship. The Seaman’s biggest point he impressed upon us was that the Danish Navy is a small one, so while this ship is a frigate it cannot be a single mission platform like we have in the US Navy. 

HDMS Esbern Snare (L-17)

The twin hanger flightdeck of the Esbern Snare

 

This frigate and all that follow her in the Absalon class, are classed as multi-mission frigate or combat support ship, and therefor capable of conducting Anti-submarine warfare, strike missions, and naval gunfire support. What surprised me is how well the Danes have been able to build and field exactly what the US Navy has been trying to build in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The Esbern Snare has a weapons deck, known as the “Bathtub” which is designed with five module weapons slots. This allows the standard weaponry of the Absalon class to be supplemented with additional missile-firing weapons. This could be Harpoon anti-ship missiles or Sea Sparrow SAMs. The Esbern Snare is also armed with a BAE Systems 5” deck gun, and a Swiss Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Close in Weapons System.

You can easily see the the 5" gun and the Millennium gun present on the bow

The interesting point of the Oerlikon is it ties into the ships fire control RADAR, staying user controlled, unlike the automated American CIWS/Phalanx. The biggest take away from the modular special weapons deck was multipurpose “Flexdeck” that runs down the centerline of the ship. This flex deck is designed to support everything from containerized command and control centers, to mine warfare, to containerized hospital support modules. Even without the containerized modules, the flexdeck can support moving 200 marines and support vehicles all deployed from a stern launch ramp.

The stern launch for the flexdeck on the Esbern Snare

 This is all supported by the ships existing compliment of two small boats deployed from a retracable boat davit and two medium helicopters which could be EH-101s or Westland Lynx. The Seaman did indicate the Danish Navy is currently contracting to switch to the SH-60 Seahawk.  From the bridge to the Combat Information Center (CIC) the ship was controlled by state-of-the-art glass displays that can be multitasked from any number of missions and be redundant to other controls. 

OPSAIL 2012 West Ghent Piers

Operation Sail 2012 was broken into three main areas, Town Point, Fort Norfolk, and West Ghent. The West Ghent Pier contained two of my favorite ships from OPSAIL 2012 in Norfolk. The first was the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus (A-135), and the Her Danish Majesty’s Ship Esbern Snare (L-17). The previous day both ships had been closed for tours, so in response I made sure they were my first stop on Saturday.

In talking to the Royal Navy (RN) Petty Officer standing gangway petty officer of the watch, the previous day the RFA Argus had hosted all the other visiting vessel Captains and local British Armed Service personnel for a dinning in event for both OPSAIL and the Diamond Jubilee for HM Queen Elizabeth II.  The Petty Officer told me that the RFA Argus was currently conducting an Atlantic Patrol and that her primary role would be to provide Humanitarian aid and Disaster relief support to the UK’s British Overseas Territories and Commonwealth Nation islands during the Caribbean hurricane season.

The tour of the ship started with the bridge of the ship, moved down to the sickbay of the ship, into the hanger area of the ship and finally out onto the flight deck.  It was easily the most detailed tour of all the warships present, and was a blast. You could sense the pride in this vessel from all of the ship’s company I was able to interact with, whether Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Navy or Royal Marines.  The RFA Argus does not comply with the Geneva Convention’s definition of a ‘hospital ship’ as she is fitted with self-defense guns and decoys and may have operational units embarked, i.e. Royal Marine Commandos. Thus RFA Argus is not classified as a hospital ship and does not display the International Red Cross symbol. Her secondary role is to provide specialist aviation training facilities, which leads back to her days as a helicopter carrier. RFA Argus has served in the Falklands War, Gulf War I, and Gulf War II for major conflicts, with half a dozen smaller sorties as well such as the action in Libya.  She started life as a Merchant Ship for the Falklands conflict, she was then refit as an Aviation Training Ship/Helicopter Carrier, with a more recent refit making her a Casualty Recovery ship. The best way to describe the RFA Argus is a cross between an LHD and the USNS Mercy or Comfort. 

The bridge of the RFA Argus with the Lieutenant (RN) leading the tour. 

The RFA Deck Officer,a civilian sailor.

Inside the RFA Argus sickbay. The vessel has over 100 beds for different levels of care. 

Inside one of the dry stores bays, currently loaded with supplies for disaster relief. 

The world's only afloat CT scanner.

One of two Westland Lynx onboard.

OPSAIL 2012 Norfolk

The CGC Eagle's ship's wheel

So the Norfolk leg of Operation Sail 2012 is officially over. The Fleet has been blessed, the ships have set sail, and the vendors of every sort have packed up and left. I have to say for a military and ship enthusiast, maybe better described as nerd, this was a once in a lifetime experience. I wasn't there for any of the pop music acts that where part of HarborFest, and while the food was good, its only purpose was to keep my strength up to go from ship to ship. My goal was to hit every Naval Vessel there, to tour them, and gain a feel for each one. I have to say this was a very well planned event, there was enough parking at Town Point Park, Fort Norfolk, and West Ghent for you to be able to drive into each location, park and tour the ships. If this didn't work for you, there was always the free buses for the events, and the Norfolk Tide trolley system. And while I will detail each of the military ships by their pier and post pictures I first wanted to share the star of the show.

The star of the event could simply be put as the CGC Eagle. During the Parade of Sail the first vessel in was the Eagle, and while she is a pretty ship, the entrance of the Colombians and Indonesians on their ships, the Gloria and Dewaruci respectively, should have overshadowed her. The Colombian crew in the rigging, with their shirts matching the tree horizontal stripes of their National flag, singing their national anthem as they made port should have trumped the Eagle. The Indonesians garbed in full military dress in their ships rigging, singing a traditional Indonesian song all as one while they moored to the pier should have surpassed the Eagle as well. That was simply not the case, because while the Coast Guard Academy cadets where all in the ships rigging, they where functionally dressed in working uniforms. The didn't sing the National Anthem as they made port, or Semper Paratus, or even the Academy fight song. They simply went about their work and safely moored the cutter. The Eagle speaks for herself, the cut of her hull, the simpleness of her white hull, and the stringiness of her Coast Guard stripe. She is so beautiful because she is OURS. The Naval Academy doesn't maintain a sailing Barque, nor does the Merchant Marine Academy, or even any of the civilian Merchant Marine Academies. The little Coast Guard Academy does, and when she flies the National Ensign off her stern she becomes every Americans'.

The weekend of OPSAIL could be easily classified as one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. While my wife, who is also in the USCG, had to work the whole time because of OPSAIL we where both able to still share some time there. OPSAIL was established in the 1960s under President Kennedy to reinvigorate the American public's appreciation of sailing. The founders of OPSAIL decided that each OPSAIL should coincide with major American historical events, such as the 1964 World's Fair, and the 1976 Bicentennial. This years historical event is the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, and sounds like as good an excuse as any to hold this event. The vessels start in Norfolk, Virginia and cruise up the Eastern Seaboard to their final destination of the New York City Harbor, after making several port visits along the way. After seeing the ships depart Norfolk, both my wife and I where struck with a feeling of melancholy that can only be cured with the knowledge that the in seven years we will be blessed with the 100th Anniversary of the conclusion of World War I and we can only hope, another Norfolk OPSAIL. 

OPSAIL 2012

Well it has finally reached Hampton Roads, but OPSAIL 2012 is here. I spent the day yesterday watching the Sea and Air Power Parade of Ships and was somewhat surprised how mundane it was. I have to realize this is Norfolk; the home of the largest Naval Base in the world, seeing Haze Grey Ships come in and out of port is a normal occurrence here. I am honestly very excited about touring the foreign flagged vessels this weekend, and intend share the pictures.