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30 Oct 17. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH: Sea Trials. The RN reported (30 Oct 17) that HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH has sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base for the first time since arriving at her home port in August 2017. HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is expected to be at sea for the
next month and to be delivered to the RN by the end of 2017. The 65,000-tonne carrier is the most advanced
warship to have been built for the RN and can accommodate up to 1,600 personnel.
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH’s second phase of sea trails has been assisted by the destroyer HMS DRAGON. As detailed by the RN (3 Nov 17), five personnel from the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH spent several days on board the destroyer to hone their skills in the Operations Room. HMS DRAGON also worked with the future flagship to assist in testing several of her systems.
Comment: HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is expected to be at sea for at least a month before being officially handed over to the RN by the end of 2017. HMS DRAGON has returned to Portsmouth Naval Base for a short
period of maintenance. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 17/40, 06 Nov 17)
30 Oct 17. Type 31e: Shipyard Tour. As part of a tour of UK shipyards the previous Defence Secretary visited (30 Oct 17) A&P Tyne near Newcastle.
A&P is involved with the Teaming Agreement between Cammell Laird and BAE Systems to bid for the delivery of the Type 31e general purpose frigate. So far, the shipyard tour has included: Babcock, BAE Systems, Cammell Laird, Ferguson Marine and Harland & Wolff.
Comment: Over 20 different proposals have been developed by Industry to build an initial order of five Type 31e frigates at a maximum average price of £250m each. The competitive process is expected to start in 2018. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 17/40, 06 Nov 17)
30 Oct 17. Survey Ships: HMS SCOTT. The Defence Procurement Minister confirmed (30 Oct 17) that, on current plans, the out of service date for HMS SCOTT is 2022. The Minister declined to disclose the recent refit cost of HMS SCOTT “as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests, due to an ongoing competition for future service support”.
Comment: The possible future sale of HMS SCOTT has been the subject of recent press speculation. Designed to commercial standards, HMS SCOTT provides the RN with a deep bathymetric capability. The RN has two additional oceanographic survey vessels (HMS ECHO and HMS ENTERPRISE) which have a secondary role as mine countermeasures HQ ships. HMS ENTERPRISE has been surveying three Falklands wrecks (HMS ANTELOPE, HMS ARDENT and HMS COVENTRY) to mark the 35th anniversary of the South
Atlantic conflict. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 17/40, 06 Nov 17)
31 Oct 17. Gabon and Malawi: Counter-poaching. The Personnel Minister said (31 Oct 17) that a training team of 11 Armed Forces personnel is to travel to Gabon during November 2017. The team is to train up to 60 Rangers from the Agence Nationale des Pares Nationaux in counter-poaching patrolling skills. The Minister also said (31 Oct 17) that a team of seven Armed 03 03 Nov 17. Forces personnel have been providing training and mentoring to African Parks Rangers in Malawi since August 2017. The Minister added (3 Nov 17) that Malawi has been selected for a pilot project “to test our methodology”.
Comment: On 17 Nov 16 the Armed Forces’ Minister announced that an Army team from 1 (UK) Division was to deploy to train Malawi Park Rangers as combat tracking instructors. The training forms part of a three-year
plan, agreed by the MoD and DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), to support and fund a series of military-led counter-poaching activities. Training is being delivered with the guidance of the
Tusk Trust charity. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 17/40, 06 Nov 17)
30 Oct 17. Armed F