The Navy Vol_73_No_3 Jul 2011 - Navy League of Australia

FLASH TRAFFIC
. . – . . – . . . – . . . . . . . – . – . . – . . – . . . – . . . – . – . . . – . . – . . . – . . . . . . . –
Other Royal Navy vessels - HMS LIVERPOOL,
HMS BROCKLESBY and the SSN HMS TRIUMPH
- have previously played major roles in the
operation to enforce UNSCR 1973, and remain
fully engaged on this task.
As far as French naval operations off Libya
are concerned, the aircraft carrier CHARLES
DE GAULLE - whose embarked Rafale F3 and
Super Etendard Modernisé aircraft have played
a major role in the air strikes - is now receiving
logistic support from US Navy C-2A Greyhound
‘carrier onboard delivery’ aircraft flying from
Hyères in southern France.
The use of the fixed-wing Greyhounds means
that personnel can be rotated and spare
parts delivered to the carrier more quickly and
more cheaply than by flying helicopters via
Crete or Malta.
Meanwhile, NATO said on 7 June that 19
surface ships and submarines from 11 nations
- Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Italy,
Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK and
the US - were patrolling international waters
in the central Mediterranean to enforce the UN
arms embargo on Libya.
A total of 1,209 suspicious vessels had been
hailed, with 76 boardings and eight denials
conducted, since enforcement commenced at
the end of March, according to NATO.
The UK Apache deployment to Libya was
expected given that lack of strike carrier
capability since the UK SDSR decommissioned
HMS ARK ROYAL and its Harriers.
Apaches from HMS OCEAN, and Tigers from
TONNERRE, are forming a sort of poor man’s
strike carrier. Much like operating Tiger Armed
reconnaissance helicopters off Australia’s
new LHDs in some future conflict. Perhaps
Australia’s Army should take note.
05
UK RETIRES FINAL FRONTLINE
LYNX HAS.3
The RN has retired the last of its Westland
WG.13 Lynx HAS.3 maritime utility and antisubmarine
warfare helicopters from frontline
service.
The final HAS.3 helicopter - XZ693 - departed
HMS OCEAN for its home base at Royal Naval
Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton in southern England
on 28 March.
Having entered RN service in the late 1980s,
the analogue HAS.3-variant Lynx has been
replaced in fleet service by the largely digital
Lynx HMA.8.
The aircraft will remain with the RN as a training
asset and four helicopters will be operated by
702 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton for
this purpose.
The latest Lynx variant - the AgustaWestland
AW159 Wildcat - is currently in development
as the Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft
(SCMR) and should be in RN service in 2015.
MORE WOMEN FOR SUBMARINES
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
Warren Snowdon has cleared the way for
more women to serve in Navy submarines by
formally approving shared female and male
accommodation on board every boat.
Mr Snowdon said the move, which was a
recommendation of the previous Chief of Navy
Vice Admiral Russ Crane, is a major step forward
for women in the Australian Defence Force and
has the full support of new Chief of Navy Vice
Admiral Ray Griggs and his leadership team.
“This move will ensure that our female
submariners access the same training and
career-progression opportunities as their male
crewmates.
“The Australian Government believes it is
important that the nation’s defence forces
be representative of the community it serves
and it’s committed to ensuring that female
military personnel have opportunities for career
progression and development.”
Women had been serving onboard Australian
Navy submarines since 1998 but, until now,
females had to sleep in female-only six-berth
cabins.
A lack of dedicated bunk space on board has
occasionally led to female submariners missing
out on postings because of bunk limitations,
which has, in turn, denied the submarine force
qualified specialists.
These limitations have also meant that only two
of our three operational submarines have been
able to accommodate females.
Successful trials have already been conducted
over several years across the submarine force
with officers and senior sailors.
Strict rules apply to maintain the dignity and
privacy of all involved.
Currently 44 of the Navy’s 560 submariners are
female, which equates to 7.8 per cent.
The first fully integrated junior sailor messes will
begin in July 2011 on board all commissioned
submarines.
Of the three services, Navy has the largest
percentage of women serving in its ranks at 18
per cent.
“It should be pointed out that 97 percent
of Navy positions, including combat-related
positions, are already open to females, but this
latest measure is a significant step in the right
direction,” Mr Snowdon said.
“At this stage, only clearance diving remains a
restricted employment category.”
05
An RN Westland WG.13 Lynx HAS.3 maritime utility and anti-submarine warfare helicopter. The final HAS.3 helicopter - XZ693 (seen here)- departed HMS OCEAN for its home base
at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton in southern England on 28 March. (RN)
16 THE NAVY VOL. 73 NO. 3