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Operation Vela amphibious task group arrives in Gibraltar
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The vanguard of Operation Vela arrived in Gibraltar yesterday. Operation Vela is the largest deployment of amphibious vehicles since 2001 and involves 3,000 personnel, numerous Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, as well as Royal Marine Commandos and Royal Navy helicopters. 0
They will be demonstrating the UK's ability to conduct coastal and beach operations in the challenging hot equatorial and jungle environments of West Africa.
The deployment is also designed to demonstrate the UK's Littoral Manoeuvre, or, over the horizon capacity, which involves influencing land that is a significant distance from the sea.
The operation consists of two phases. The first, Exercise Grey Cormorant, began on 04 September 2006 off the South West coast of England. It has seen Royal Marines conducting boat and air training, helicopter and boat raids, and a dramatic amphibious Commando assault on the Devon coast. The second phase of the Operation, Exercise Green Eagle, will involve the Task Group deploying to Sierra Leone, West Africa, from 11 October - 5 November 2006. This will include jungle training and support to international military training teams in Sierra Leone.
Commodore Phil Jones who is commanding the operational deployment said:
"The Vela Deployment will be a modern, robust operational demonstration of amphibious expeditionary capability, it proves our global reach and is a clear display and application of military force from the sea to inland areas."
The Task Group includes: HMS Albion, HMS Ocean, HMS Southampton, HMS Argyll, RFA Wave Knight, RFA Mounts Bay, RFA Sir Bedivere, RFA Fort Austin, HMS Enterprise, RFA Diligence, RFA Oakleaf, Mine Counter Measure Squadron 1 and a Fleet submarine together with the Fleet Lead Commando Group, consisting of 40 Commando Royal Marines, 59 Commando Independent Engineering Squadron, 29 Commando Royal Artillery and 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines. Also involved will be elements of Fleet Diving Unit 2 and 849 (B) Flight from RNAS Culdrose. Five of these ships arrived in Gibraltar today lead by HMS Ocean. RFA Diligence has been in port for a number of days already.
In support of this deployment, a Tailored Air Group (TAG) has been formed, consisting of Sea King helicopters of 845 Naval Air Squadron, 846 Naval Air Squadron and 820 Naval Air Squadron, Lynx Helicopters of 847 Naval Air Squadrons, and Chinook helicopters of 27 Squadron from the Royal Air Force who were only deployed for the UK phase of the exercise.
Commodore Allan Adair Commander British Forces Gibraltar has said of the arrival of the Task Group in Gibraltar:
"I am delighted to welcome the Task Group to Gibraltar. It is a long time since the naval base has had this number of ships alongside at once and I am extremely impressed by our workforce who have as a result been very heavily loaded. Deployments such as this show that Gibraltar is still a key part of the UK strategic plan. The modern Navy needs Gibraltar - the facilities here are first class and our ability to host such a group is second to none. It has also given me great pleasure to mark the arrival of the new Governor in such a fitting manner".
The six ships that arrived in Gibraltar are: HMS Ocean, HMS Southampton, RFA Wave Knight, RFA Sir Bedivere and RFA Oakleaf. HMS Sutherland also arrived in port but is not part of the Task Group.
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