Royal Navy shows off its latest weapon in the fight against sea mines
Royal Navy minehunters have been showing the Americans the latest technology in tackling the threat of sea mines in the Middle East.
Portsmouth-based HMS Middleton and Chiddingfold joined ships in the Arabian Gulf to show off Seafox - an underwater robot that can identify and destroy mines.
The exercises in the Arabian Gulf allowed the two navies to work together to practise finding mines in Middle Eastern waters, where shipping lanes are under threat from piracy and terrorism.
The exercise also allowed the Commander of the UK Mine Counter Measures Force, Commander David Bence, the opportunity to lead a group of minehunters at sea.
He said: 'Sea mines and unexploded ordnance have the potential to cause great disruption to international shipping lanes, restricting freedom of the seas and damaging world economies.
'The Royal Navy is at the forefront of mine countermeasure capabilities in experience, expertise and technology. It is important that we maintain these capabilities across a range of different environments from the cold Atlantic to the warmer coastal waterways of the Middle East.'
The Portsmouth minehunters were joined by Faslane-based minehunters HMS Grimsby and Pembroke as well as Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship RFA Lyme Bay, and US Navy minehunters for a 10-day training exercise.
As part of the exercise, HMS Chiddingfold gave Vice Admiral Mark Fox, Commander of US 5th Fleet, a demonstration of the navy's state-of-the-art underwater mine disposal system Seafox.
Lieutenant Commander Adam Northover, Commanding Officer of HMS Chiddingfold, said he was 'extremely proud' to show off the technology to the US Navy.
He said: 'The crew has worked very hard over the past 12 months in this region and were delighted to show their skills to such an important guest.'
The four minehunters are deployed to Bahrain for several years at a time with their crews rotated with their UK counterparts on a six-month basis.
They are among several Royal Navy warships in the area who are deployed on counter-piracy and counter-terrorism operations alongside other navies.
>> Vote in our latest web poll.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
