Five Royal Navy vessels converged in the Arabian Sea as they took part in the biggest multi-national exercise staged off the coast of Oman this year.
HMS Somerset and three minehunters – Quorn, Atherstone and Shoreham – plus RFA Cardigan Bay joined ships from the USA, France and the host nation for the four-day-long Exercise Khunjar Hadd.
Lt Cdr Toby Shaughnessy directs the battle from his bridge as HMS Shoreham comes under attack from F16s. Pictures: LA(Phot) Ben Shread, HMS Somerset, and Lt Cdr Sally Armstrong, UKMCC
FIVE Royal Navy vessels have been at the heart of the biggest multi-national exercise staged off the coast of Oman this year.
The four-day long Exercise Khunjar Hadd tested the abilities of British, French, American and Omani warships to deal with air and missile attacks, negotiate minefields, take down suspicious vessels courtesy of specialist boarding parties, blast potential foes out of the water with gunfire and above all work together in the challenging waters of the Arabian Sea.
The exercise gave Oman - most of whose naval officer corps have trained alongside the Royal Navy - the chance to show off the latest addition to their Navy, the new flagship Al Shamikh, one of three new corvettes, built in Portsmouth by BAE and handed over to the Sultanate last year.
HMS Somerset's 815 NAS Lynx returns to the frigate after patrolling over the 14 ships in the Khunjar Hadd force
She was shown off to senior commanders of all three visiting navies as Omani F16 jets buzzed the 14-strong force in the Gulf of Oman, seeing whether the ships could respond to repeated waves of air attack.
That was one of about 60 'serials' or incidents planned into Khunjar Hadd - Arabic for sharp dagger - by day and night throughout the exercise; there was something new to keep participants on their toes every half hour.
The RN was the largest single contributor to the exercise, now in its 19th incarnation, with Devonport-based frigate HMS Somerset joined by mother/command ship RFA Cardigan Bay and her trio of Royal Navy minehunters HMS Atherstone, Quorn and Shoreham.
Also converging on waters north of the Omani capital were the American destroyer USS Truxton, two fast patrol/gunboats and the minehunter USS Gladiator.
The French committed their frigate FS Floreal, while host nation deployed three ships, including Al Shamikh.
In addition 15 aircraft were involved in Khunjar Hadd - from Omani F16 and French Rafale jets to helicopters, a French Atlantique 2 patrol plane based in Djibouti, and tiny ScanEagle 'robot planes', launched from the flight decks of Cardigan Bay and Somerset, the first time these new 'eyes in the sky' had been used by the Royal Navy in an international exercise. In addition, the UK provided two Falcons to provide electronic warfare challenges.
AB(WS) Bartlett Horwood mans his post in HMS Somerset’s ops room during an air defence exercise
"After four months away from home, Khunjar Hadd allows us to sharpen our claws for whatever happens - we are the Navy's 'on call' ship east of Suez right now," said Cdr Mike Smith, HMS Somerset's Commanding Officer.
"Every nation involved in this exercise is an important player in the region and we have to be able to work together.
"If the seas are not safe, then quite simply our entire way of life suffers. Every single day east of Suez we are doing something real, and we are making a difference."
Cdre Keith Blount, the Royal Navy's senior officer in the region as UK Maritime Component Commander, normally based in Bahrain but visiting the task force for the crux of the exercise, said over its 19-year history, Khunjar Hadd had demonstrated the determination of friendly nations to work together to "counter criminal activity at sea".
An aerial shot of HMS Quorn as seen from Somerset's Lynx
He continued: "When you see the number of ships involved, then you realise that this is one of the most important exercises in the region. It's been very well organised indeed by the Omanis, who are an extremely professional navy and are very keen to showcase that professionalism, as well as their new flagship.
"The fact that the US, French and ourselves are here gives Khunjar Hadd status and clout. We are working together to keep the arteries of the sea open, because they are vital."
For three of the Royal Navy's four Bahrain-based minehunters, which spend the bulk of their time concentrated in the Gulf itself, Khunjar Hadd has been an opportunity to test their expeditionary ability with their command/supply ship Cardigan Bay - and train in the Gulf of Oman outside the normal realm of pure mine warfare.
One of Quorn's divers watches the other vessels in formation for Officer of the Watch manoeuvres
"This is a busy exercise, ram-packed with one thing after another," said Cdr Jim Byron, in charge of the RN's Mine Warfare Battle Staff based on Cardigan Bay.
Their moment came towards the end of Khunjar Hadd when the minehunters were called on to find a safe route for the other vessels to pass through a mock minefield - bread and butter work for them.
Far greater variety was provided by the air attacks, multi-ship manouevres ('synchronised swimming for warships') and gunnery by day and night.
"Most of Khunjar Hadd is doing something different from what we normally do - air attacks, gunnery, working with 13 other ships and that's great," said Lt Cdr Stuart Yates, in charge of HMS Quorn.
"And then in the evenings we've knuckled down to our minehunting role, but in much deeper waters than we're used to in the Gulf. That poses us different challenges - and it's great also."
With the exercise concluded, the British minehunters sailed into the Omani visit Muscat for a short visit, while Somerset patrolled the Indian Ocean on counter-terrorism/smuggling/drug-running duties.
Read June’s Navy News for a three-page special feature on the exercise.
