(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark, flagship of the UK Royal Navy, moored in Port Sultan Qaboos is preparing for the final round of exercises as the head of the Response Force Task Group (RFTG) 'Cougar 13' deployment.
Later this month, four ships of the task force will take part in an exercise dubbed 'Omani Cougar' with the Royal Navy of Oman.
Following several weeks exercising with friendly nations in the Mediterranean, HMS Bulwark arrived in the region passing through the Suez Canal in September, to take part in security duties and exercises with regional allies. The four-day stopover in Muscat was an opportunity to showcase the vessel and her crew, and replenish supplies, before resuming mission on Tuesday.
Commodore Paddy McAlpine, senior naval officer in the fleet, said they have worked with a number of regional military forces, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The task force is a bit like a swarm of bees from a hive, in that we all come out together, after which some ships can be sent out on their own. In this way we can spread the effect and influence the force (in the region). At one stage we had vessels in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman and the Gulf at the same time, he said.
''The first period of the deployment was spent in the Mediterranean, where we exercised with the French, Italian, Hellenic, Portuguese and US forces, after which we regrouped to sail East of Suez. We will exercise with Omani military forces later this month in which four ships of the task force will be taking part. We can't have gaps in our deployment, and we will head to Pakistan and India later before returning to the UK.''
Flag-Captain Andrew Burns, commanding officer of HMS Bulwark, praised his crew for their efforts. The 380 men and women on board have 'delivered in every single aspect' and are 'testament to the quality and professionalism of people in the Royal Navy'.
''The deployment has been demanding but it is also an opportunity to put into practice everything the crew have learned,'' he said.
The RFTG is the UK's ‘very high readiness' maritime force which has a range of capabilities, including amphibious assault, maritime security, air defence, and counter piracy, according to the Ministry of Defence. This year's task force, comprising eight Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, will return to the UK in December
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