UK In Action: Firing Range

A soldier with A Company, 1 Royal Anglian is pictured on the firing range during the final day of Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) in readiness for their move forward.

img from UK MoD By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Challenger Go BOOM

Video screengrab of Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank live firing of main armament.

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UK In Action: STANTA Exercise

A soldier is pictured during an exercise at the Stanford Battle Area, better known as the Stanford Training Area (STANTA). Members from all the units from across the 49 Bde area came together for the annual Brigade Exercise held at the Stamford training area STANTA for a series of military stands.

img from UK MoD By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: SCOTS on Parade

Around 450 soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) paraded through Inverness to mark their recent return from operations in Afghanistan. Soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland will take part in a series of Homecoming parades to mark their recent return from a six month operational tour in Afghanistan. The soldiers returned to their permanent base in Fort George, Inverness throughout April 2012 and will hold the parades to thank families,friends and local communities for the support they received while on deployment.

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UK In Action: Royal Marines, Closer Than You Want To See Them

A Royal Marine of the Fleet Protection Group is pictured during a warfare demonstration.

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UK In Action: ANA EHRT

A sergeant with the Afghan National Army (ANA) is pictured on a joint patrol in Afghanistan. The Afghan Army Explosive Hazard Reduction Teams are advised by a 2 man team from the Airborne Troop of 49 Squadron, 33 Regiment Royal Engineers.

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UK In Action: Sea King Flares

A Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter of the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) fires decoy flares whilst on operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. An Army Air Corps Lynx Mk9a is visible in the background. Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopters from 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons normally based with Commando Helicopter Force at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, were flying as part of the Joint Helicopter Force Afghanistan in support of current operations in Afghanistan.

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UK In Action: Royal Navy Rescue & Olympic Flame

Royal Navy Search and Rescue Squadron to Carry the Olympic Flame to Land’s End • Olympic Flame arrives into Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall on 18 May • 771 Naval Air Squadron to carry the flame in a Sea King Helicopter on 19 May • First time a ‘live flame’ is carried as a passenger The Royal Navy is proud to announce that its Search and Rescue Squadron has been selected by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to transfer the Olympic Flame to Land’s End for the start of the UK Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. On the evening of Friday 18th May, the Olympic Flame will arrive at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose onboard a British Airways, gold-liveried aircraft from Athens. After an overnight stay at the Air Station, the Flame will be flown to Land’s End by 771 Naval Air Squadron in a Sea King helicopter that has been used for many lifesaving missions across the South West. On landing, one the four aircrew will jump out of the aircraft and take the Olympic Flame to the start of the London 2012 Torch Relay, so that its momentous journey across the UK can begin. The Olympic Flame will then travel 8,000 miles across the UK to within 10 miles of 95% of the population. 8,000 Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame for approximately 300 metres each, passing the Olympic Flame from torch to torch until it reaches the Olympic Stadium on the eve of 27 July.

img from UK MoD By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Scots Guards and the Olympic Flame

Olympic fever departed York today, as the torch boards the Scots Guardsman at the National Railway Museum for the final leg of its journey through North Yorkshire. The museum will open its doors early so guests can watch the Olympic torch depart for Thirsk and make its journey through the county passing Northallerton, Aiskew, Bedale, Aysgarth, Leyburn and Richmond. The Catterick-based Scots Guards Regimental Band will be in attendance along with soldiers from 1st Battalion the Scots Guards, who will be wearing their infamous red tunic to support this once in a lifetime event. The Scots Guardsman (train) was built in 1927 and is one of only two remaining of the original 70 LMS Royal Scot Class locomotives built, all of which were named after regiments in the British Army.

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UK In Action: Tanks in BATUS

A Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank is shown being put through its paces at British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). BATUS is located in Alberta Canada and is one of the largest training areas the British Army use to exercise their armoured battle groups. It covers an area roughly 7 times the size of Salisbury Plain Training Area.

ADMIN NOTE: effective this week, UK In Action will drop to one appearance/week, on Thursdays.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Carrier Through Portsmouth

A computer generated image (CGI) of one of the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers soon to be built, passing Round Tower and out of the Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth, Hampshire. The construction of the Armed Forces’ new aircraft carriers pressed forward in July 2009, as Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal performed the steel cutting for the first of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers at BVT Surface Fleet’s shipyard in Govan, Glasgow. The ceremony marked the start of the manufacture of the Royal Navy’s largest ever warships. Together with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft and the brand new Type 45 destroyers, they will form the cornerstone of Britain’s future ability to jointly project air power worldwide from land or sea at a time and place of UK’s choosing. The future aircraft carriers, to be named HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES, will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK. They will provide our forces with world-class capabilities, supporting peace-keeping, conflict prevention and our strategic operational priorities. They will be a highly versatile and potent joint defence asset, able to meet the widest range of tasks.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Challenger in Warminster

A Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank fires a shell at a distant target during a firepower demonstration at the Land Warfare Centre Warminster, Salisbury Plain

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Saxons in Basra

Queens Lancashire Regiment on patrol in Basra with Saxon, armoured personnel carriers.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: SAR Winchman

A Royal Air Force winchman practices deck landings at sea from a Search and Rescue Helicopter.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Night Salvo

Three Challenger 2 main battle tanks firing their 120mm guns during a night firing exercise by the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry at Lulworth, Dorset.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Carrier of the Future

A computer generated image of the Future Carrier. Following a requirement stated in the Strategic Defence Review for a new larger class of aircraft carrier, as a replacement for the three existing Invincible class ships, the CVF was conceived. In January 2003, the Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, announced that the Royal Navy's new generation of aircraft carriers will be designed and built by an alliance between the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems/Thales UK. KBR have subsequently joined this alliance in the role of Project Integrator. In order to maximise the flexibility that CVF can offer over its potential 50-year service life, the carriers will be built to an innovative adaptable design. Although CV-based, the ships will initially be fitted with a ramp for STOVL operations. Post JSF, the design will be capable of modification to operate aircraft requiring a catapult launch and arrested recovery. Although the final dimensions of CVF have yet to be confirmed, initial indications suggest that the carriers could be the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. The base port will be Portsmouth, Hampshire.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Lancers in Iraq

Soldiers of 1 A Squadron, Queens Royal Lancers (QRL) patrolling outside Basra, Iraq onboard a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank during Operation Telic 4.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Harpoons Away!

Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond is pictured firing her Harpoon anti-ship missile system. Fitted to the Batch III Type 22 frigates and the Type 23 frigates, the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) Harpoon is a sophisticated anti-ship missile using a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing to attack targets out to a range of 130km. Cruising at Mach 0.9 and carrying a 227kg warhead it is powered by a lightweight turbojet, but is accelerated at launch by a booster rocket. A submarine launched version, known as Sub Harpoon, is also in service aboard the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class SSNs.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Command Saxon

A Command Variant Saxon Armoured Personnel Carrier of 33 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Regiment, Royal Engineers.

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By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Topping Up

A MAN fuel tanker truck refuels a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, during an exercise at British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). BATUS is located in Alberta Canada and is one of the largest training areas the British Army use to exercise their armoured battle groups. It covers an area roughly 7 times the size of Salisbury Plain Training Area.

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By: Widow 6-7