Joint Warrior JW 20:01 & 20:02

Exercise Joint Warrior JW 20:01 & 20:02

Twice a year the UK hosts Exercise Joint Warrior which is designed to enable the armed forces of participating countries to practice procedures and operate as a multi-national coalition. The event incorporates a wide variety of training scenarios, and each can include small boat attacks, boarding operations, large-scale amphibious assaults, air defence and anti-submarine warfare. Although JW 20:01 went ahead in March despite the escalating Coronavirus situation, it was on a far smaller scale than usual and there wasn`t much evidence of increased activity on the upper Clyde.

Far more complex tha JW 20:01, most of the action during the second exercise, took place far out in the Atlantic, around the Western Isles, then off the northeast coast of Scotland. At its core was the new Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group. In addition to the carrier itself, the Group was thought to contain HMS Diamond (D34), HMS Defender (D36), HMS Northumberland (F238), HMS Kent (F78), USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), and HNLMS Evertsen (F805), with auxiliaries RFA Tideforce (A139) and RFA Fort Victoria (A387) providing support. (Carrier Group / F-35 images © Royal Navy).

With a wide selection of photographs from the military and other related organisations currently available for sharing via social media, I have supplemented my own shots with those from other sources including the Royal Navy, RAF and US Navy. Images have been credited where appropriate and some links have been added. These otherwise unavailable photographs give a valuable insight into operations and their inclusion will hopefully proved a better overall picture of these events.

This year marked the beginning of a new era with British and US Marine Corps F-35s operating from HMS Queen Elizabeth during a Joint Warrior exercise for the first time. It was also the first occasion that a degree of social distancing was in force on the participating vessels, and no doubt within any land based command and control facilities.

Joint Warrior JW 21:2 / Dynamic Mariner

Joint Warrior JW 21:1 / Strike Warrior

Joint Warrior JW 19:2

Joint Warrior JW 19:1

Joint Warrior JW 18:1

Joint Warrior JW 17:2

Joint Warrior 17:1

Joint Warrior 16:2

Joint Warrior JW 16:1

Joint Warrior JW 15:2

Joint Warrior JW 15:1

JW 20:01

As previously mentioned, JW 20:01, the first of 2020`s events, went ahead between Friday 28 March and Thursday 9 April 2020. These are usually large exercises with numerous warships berthing on the Clyde at either Faslane Naval Base or Glasgow`s KGV Dock before hand, but unsurprisingly the COVID-19 emergency impacted proceedings. I thought that the escalating spread of the virus would have resulted in the cancellation of the exercise altogether but several naval vessels could be tracked at the end of the month, operating in the exercise area off Scotland`s West Coast.

(Image © Wikipedia / Dave Souza).

Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS Sutherland (F81) (above) and an unidentified Norwegian submarine had called in at HMNB Clyde for a briefing, while HDMS Absalon (L16) of the Royal Danish Navy and Type 704 Rhön-class tanker FGS Rhön (A1443) took up station directly. It`s thought that the aforementioned warships were joined in the exercise area by USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the British auxiliary ship RFA Tideforce (A139) and Norway`s KNM Otto Sverdrup (F312). Serco Marine`s multi-purpose auxiliary vessel SD Northern River was also operating in the area. The only image I could find online of any of the participating vessels was the above view of HMS Sutherland heading out to sea at the start of proceedings. The shot was obviously taken from Lyle Hill above Greenock, a superb viewpoint on clear days.

(Photos of NATO MCMVs & Charles de Gaulle © Seawaves Magazine / Reuters.com / Business Insider Magazine).

It also appeared that, for the first time in years, Prestwick didn`t host any Joint Warrior aircraft. The last few exercises saw not only the usual Cobham Falcons and RAF and RN Hawks based there, but Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPAs) from various NATO member nations. The latter types usually operate from Lossiemouth during the event but as the Moray base was being upgraded to accommodate the RAF`s new Poseidons, the Ayrshire airport proved an excellent alternative. Once things got back to normal, however, this year`s second JW saw the US Navy`s MPAs operating from Iceland - having the additional planes at Prestwick was great while it lasted!

Between 19 - 22 March 2020, the French Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle conducted its first deployment to the eastern North Sea region in a decade, during which the carrier strike group exercised with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) in waters off Jutland, Denmark. Earlier in the month, as Charles de Gaulle transited the Mediterranean Sea, she participated in cross-deck inter-operability exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The unique opportunity allowed pilots from both navies to land and launch on the two flight decks while the leaders of each strike group met aboard both carriers for a tour and an opportunity to observe their respective pilots operate aboard a foreign naval vessel.

In total, two U.S. naval aviators flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet and four French aviators, flying the French Rafale M and an E-2C Hawkeye, conducted carrier operations including touch-and-go’s and one trap and recovery on each carrier. Additionally, each country moved personnel and parts between the two ships via helicopter throughout the duration of the exercise. This was not the first time that the two huge carriers have worked alongside one another though. The two vessels conducted joint operations in Support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.

On Wednesday 8 April 2020, the French Navy announced that their carrier was returning to its home port of Toulon after an outbreak of Coronavirus on board. The vessel was thought to have at least 40 cases of COVID-19 among its compliment of around 2,000 men and women and a screening team with specialist equipment were helicoptered in to assess the situation before the carrier docked. Although Charles de Gaulle has a hospital with a dozen beds and respirators, helicopters were on standby to transfer any sailors in urgent need of more advanced medical treatment to a mainland facility.

At least one case of COVID-19 contamination was also reported in March aboard Belgian Navy frigate BNS Léopold 1 during its deployment with the French carrier strike group.

Coincidentally, this vessel was the sole representative of the Marine Component of the Belgian Armed Forces during Joint Warrior 20:02 and berthed at Glasgow for a couple of nights before setting off for the exercise area. I`ve no idea whether any personnel from the warships that tied up at Glasgow were allowed time ashore. (Above image © NATO).

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JW 20:02

The second of this year`s Joint Warrior military exercises ran from 4 October until 15 October 2020. Military aircraft seen at Glasgow and Prestwick airports during this period, whether Joint Warrior related or not, are included under their respective nationalities. This is HDMS Triton (F358) of the Royal Danish Navy.

Although the weather was mixed on arrival and departure days this time round, there were a couple of very sunny days which led to views like this. Just a pity that there was far less naval traffic on the water than in recent years, but considering that the exercise was being held in the middle of a pandemic, it was understandable. The above shot shows the spectacular view from Lyle Hill above Greenock. Mist had been slow to clear from the top that day and clung to the summit for most of the morning, totally obscuring the view. The numerous gorse bushes leading to the cairn were covered in cobwebs, their intricate details highlighted by the heavy dew.

As the start date for Joint Warrior 20:2 approached, concern grew for the welfare of a pod of five Northern Bottlenose Whales, initially spotted in the Loch Long area. They appeared to be disorientated having entered some of the smaller adjacent sea lochs, ending up just off the Faslane naval base at the head of the Gare Loch. As whales are particularly sensitive to underwater sound, there were worries that the increased naval activity and associated sonar noise from warships and submarines would adversely affect the animals even further.

There have been other occasions in recent years where whales of the same species have entered the Clyde`s sea lochs but they all managed to leave of their own accord without human intervention. Experts had been monitoring the Northern Bottlenose Whales in Gare Loch for several weeks and one individual in particular looked very thin. Three animals could often be seen tail slapping and breaching and initially they were thought to be fishing but this is a clear sign of distress.

The Gare Loch is only about 25m (80ft) deep and the narrows between Rosneath and Rhu Spit almost cut the loch in half at its southern end. This would have added to the animals` confusion when attempting to find an exit.

Although they were able to catch local fish, these whales prefer squid and the like, and regularly reach depths of 1,000m (3,000ft) in their quest for their favourite food. As a result, an operation to move the mammals was mounted by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). A flotilla of small boats formed up a couple of days before the exercise got underway and attempted to herd the whales into the open sea but, as far as the volunteers could tell, they were unsuccessful.

(Images © Forces.net; BBC / Steve Truluk; PA Media).

As a post script, a very sad incident was played out beside Glasgow Airport on Monday 26 October when a distressed and badly disorientated Northern Bottlenose Whale made its way up the Black Cart Water from the River Clyde at Clydebank and stranded itself on the shallow bottom. Despite the determined efforts of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, HM Coastguard, Fire and Rescue crews from Glasgow Airport and other volunteers, the whale died. Another of the whales from the same pod died at Blairmore on the Cowal peninsula the day before the Black Cart stranding. (Black Cart rescue shots © Greenock Coastguard).

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Royal Navy

Marine Traffic showed HMS Sutherland (F81) patrolling the lower Firth of Clyde and out towards Islay at the start of proceedings. On Sunday 4 October, Iver Huitfeldt-class Frigate Niels Juel (F363) sailed south to meet HMCS Toronto, FS Premier-Maître L'Her (F792) and NRP Corte-Real (F332) at the bottom end of the Minch while an unidentified US warship tagged on behind the Canadian contingent as it headed out into the Atlantic in a northwesterly direction past the west coast of Islay. USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13) remained at anchor off Greenock for a few days before setting off for the exercise area. Anchor handling supply vessel Kingdom of Fife of Briggs Marine arrived just before the US supply ship left, having done some preparatory work in Luce Bay in southwest Scotland. This location has some long, wide, gently sloping beaches and is often used by the military to practice amphibious landings. Briggs has been contacted by Serco to provide navigation buoy and target maintenance, plus mooring support services for the Royal Navy all around the UK coast.

(Carrier Group images © Royal Navy).

Neither of the new carriers have visited the Clyde yet, but once the Northern Ammunition Jetty in Glen Mallan on Loch Long has been upgraded the huge vessels will have to appear at some point. The refurbishment has been ongoing for a year and when complete will better support the British surface fleet, including HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, in loading and unloading ammunition. In addition to a new new jetty, five new mooring dolphins, two pedestal cranes and related infrastructure will be put in place.

(Above photo: credit Royal Navy. Following two Glen Mallan images © ukdefencejournal.org.uk).

A major milestone was reached recently by completing the installation of all 127 jetty piles into the seabed. These support a reinforced concrete deck on the new jetty and walkways. The steel piles were produced between a yard in Glasgow and a mill in Turkey. They were driven into the seabed using a piling technique until they had a firm hold on the bedrock. They were then drilled out to allow concrete to be poured inside, creating a bond between the bedrock and the pile. Four new navigational lights, powered exclusively by solar panels, will enable pilots to safely navigate in and out of Glen Mallan. They are mounted on large steel tower structures rising up to 30 metres from the seabed. The tops of these towers will be installed by a crane barge later this year. The project is on track for completion In Spring 2021.

I took the above view of the Glen Mallan facility a few years ago, before the refurbishment work started.

Faslane-based Sandown-class Minehunter HMS Grimsby (M108) heads down the Firth on an overcast Thursday 1 October.

NATO Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs), including a several from the Royal Navy, take part in most Joint Warriors but were noticeably absent from the Clyde on this occasion. It may well be, however, that the countermeasures component sailed directly to the exercise area. Meanwhile, I believe that the first unmanned minesweeping system entered frontline service with the Royal Navy in March this year. The ATLAS Remote Combined Influence Minesweeping System (ARCIMS) uses towed Coil Auxiliary Boats (CABs) that simulate acoustic or magnetic signatures of ships in order to trigger mines or confirm none are present. Initially three boats will be available, two remotely controlled and the other manned, as well as multiple underwater vehicles. The craft are not replacing MCM Vessels currently in service but are instead complementing them.

(ARCIMS images © ARCIMS / Crown Copyright).

According to an MOD statement, the ARCIMS, currently based at Faslane, can search for, hunt and finally destroy mines faster than the Royal Navy’s Sandown and Hunt-class warships, while having the added benefit of keeping sailors required to operate them out of harm’s way. Modified versions of the same systems are also being looked at to carry out survey operations such as those performed by HMS Echo. Ongoing route surveys gather seabed data for shipping lanes in advance, making it easier to spot newly deposited threats. This is especially important in areas where the seafloor is very uneven with lots of Non-Mine, mine-like Bottom Objects (NOMBO) where it`s easier for a potential adversary to lay and disguise mines. Route surveys of the entrances to key ports and naval bases is an important and ongoing requirement.

Back in 2016, ARCIMS took part in Exercise Unmanned Warrior in Scotland, when the Royal Navy invited Atlas Electronic UK to demonstrate its capabilities. It operated admirably in varying sea states during several high-speed missions, acquiring and transmitting real-time towed sonar data to the command and control station for what’s called ‘in mission’ analysis.

In 2018, the new system was assessed again, this time against a number of performance requirements, including how well it cleared mines and obstacles avoidance.

The US Navy also operate unmanned minehunters, known as Common Unmanned Surface Vessels. These are designed to be deployed from Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships and can also carry out anti-submarine warfare missions. The first was delivered to the US Navy in 2008.

HMS SPEY (P234)

HMS Spey (P234), seen here making her way back to BAE Systems` Scotstoun Yard on Monday 28 September this year, wasn`t involved in the exercise, but returning from sea trials. She is the last of five Batch II River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) that were built on the Upper Clyde for the Royal Navy, the others being HMS Forth (P222), HMS Medway (P223), HMS Trent (P224), and HMS Tamar (P233). The latter was only deemed fully operational in August.

All vessels were built at the BAE`s Govan shipyard, then transferred to Scotstoun for fitting out. The five Batch IIs will replace the current River-class vessels Tyne, Severn, Mersey and Clyde, which were designed and built over 15 years ago. The new vessels, which are a big improvement on their predecessors, will act as the Royal Navy's eyes and ears around the UK and help to safeguard fishing stocks, potentially an even greater challenge after the Brexit transition period ends at midnight on 31 December. The OPVs can deploy to the Mediterranean and Caribbean if necessary, and one is usually based in the South Atlantic to reassure and protect the Falkland Islanders.

The Batch IIs are four knots faster than their predecessors, carry a 30mm, rather than a 20mm main gun, two Miniguns, four machine-guns and two Pacific 24 sea boats. Each ship is equipped with a flight deck (only Clyde of the first generation craft can host a helicopter) and there's accommodation for up to 50 troops / Royal Marines to support operations ashore if needed.

The last shot of HMS Spey shows her back at BAE Systems` Scotstoun Yard on Wednesday 30 September 2020...

Sea trials complete, HMS Spey left the Clyde for Portsmouth on Wednesday 28 October. Further upriver, at BAE`s Govan yard, progress on HMS Glasgow, the first of the new Type 26 Global Combat Ships for the Royal Navy continues with the first section of the hull now positioned outside the main assembly shed.

In August 2019, a ceremony was held at the Govan yard to mark the formal start of manufacture on the second of the class, HMS Cardiff. This comes two years after steel was cut on the lead ship, Glasgow. Over one half of the lead ship is now in production and she remains on track to enter service in the mid-2020s. HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, the latter on order, will make up Batch 1 of the Royal Navy vessels with Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, London and Edinburgh eventually forming Batch 2, if inevitable cuts in the defence budget permit. The famous Second World War era light cruiser HMS Belfast (C35), currently a museum ship on the Thames owned and operated by the Imperial War Museum, will be renamed as "HMS Belfast (1938)" to avoid confusion. The previous HMS Glasgow and HMS Sheffield became household names due to their service in the Falklands War of 1982. BAE Systems also won the contract to build nine units of a modified version of the Type 26 concept vessel for the Royal Australian Navy in Adelaide. These warships will be designated as Hunter-class.

These artist impressions, all © BAE Systems, show how HMS Glasgow and her sisters will be assembled.

(Image above right, also Copyright BAE).

It`s expected that the forward block (below right) will be joined with the other half of the ship before the end of this year.

(Image above right © BAE Systems).

The City-class Type 26 will build on the pedigree of the Royal Navy’s current Type 23 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates which have served the Nation well. Each Type 26 will be equipped with a range of capabilities including the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, a 5-inch medium calibre gun, flexible mission bay, Artisan 997 Medium Range Radar, powerful bow and towed array sonars and a vertical launch silo capable of hosting a variety of weapons.

The new warships will have accommodation for two helicopters with the capability to operate both the Wildcat and larger Merlin.

AgustaWestland Merlin HM.2 ZH847 (above) was operating from Prestwick during the exercise. The Merlin Mk2 entered service in 2014 as an upgrade for the original 1990’s Mk1 naval version, primarily to serve as an airborne anti-submarine warfare platform. Its other roles include troop transport, casualty evacuation, medium lift under-slung loads and Search and Rescue. There are currently 30 Mk2s in the Royal Navy fleet, all of which have a redesigned cockpit, plus upgraded aircraft management and tactical mission computer systems, as well as improved Radar and sonar.

The Merlin is armed with Sting-Ray Torpedoes, Mk11 Depth Charges and the M3m .50 Calibre Machine Gun. Training on the helicopter takes place at 824 Naval Air Squadron and the Merlin Training Facility – the ‘Academy’ of Merlin. The main base for both training and Front-line aircraft is at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. The Merlin Mk3 Commando Helicopter (below) is primarily used by the Royal Marines and is in the process of being upgraded, ultimately towards the advanced Merlin Mk4.

(Merlin Commando image (© Royal Navy; following submarine shots © MOD/Crown Copyright).

Less than a week after Joint Warrior 20/2 ended, it was revealed in the press that a Royal Navy officer, had been sent home from the US after reporting to take charge of a submarine's Trident nuclear missiles while unfit for duty. Colleagues reportedly raised concerns when the weapons engineering officer, (WEO) a Lieutenant Commander, arrived for work on HMS Vigilant (above & right) last month. Vigilant, one of Britain's four Vanguard-class submarines which carry up to eight Trident missiles armed with nuclear warheads, was docked at a US naval base at the time. It`s thought that the officer had been drinking heavily the night before and was carrying a bag of leftover chicken from a barbecue for his lunch. An investigation into the incident is underway at Faslane. (Right hand photo: BBC News / AP).

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

(RFA Images © Royal Navy)

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a Merchant Navy organisation with a civilian-manned fleet at its core which is tasked with providing worldwide logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy. The RFA has supported military operations during every major conflict since World War I, including providing vital support as part of a multi-service or multinational force. RFA Tideforce is the last of four Tide-Class Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) Tankers, the others being Tidespring, Tiderace and Tidesurge. At 39,000 tonne, these vessels are the largest ships currently in service within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. They can carry 19,000 cubic metres of fuel and 1,400 cubic metres of fresh water. All were built by DSME in South Korea.

Tideforce entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 30 July 2019, and in September, she joined the UK Carrier Strike Group on its three-month Westlant 19 deployment to the United States. This year, in June, Tideforce carried out the first night time replenishment at sea with a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, then in August 2020 she rendezvoused with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) to provide replenishment.

The above photo, taken off the South Coast of England in early May this year. shows RFA Tidesurge, Tideforce and Fort Victoria trialling their equipment. Marine diesel, aviation fuel and water were all successfully passed between the ships. Although this was just a trial, it is not entirely unusual for RFAs to transfer fuel to each other as one may serve as a support tanker for very long range missions.

Three new vessels for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, known as Fleet Solid Support vessels, are planned to provide logistical support to the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier force. Despite union demands that the ships should be an entirely British affair in order to retain local skills and jobs, the Ministry of Defence has said it expects some of the work to go to overseas yards, but stressed that British shipyards have been pledged the dominant role in construction. Locating a portion of the work abroad is primarily to keep costs down in the program which is estimated at £1.5 billion ($2 billion). Bidding for a share in the construction project is set to get underway in the spring of next year. A British-led team involving Harland & Wolffe, naval designers BMT and the Spanish yard Navantia declared its interest earlier this year. Shipyards from Italy, Japan and South Korea have also indicated that they are considering their options.

Britain’s two current major warship construction programs are being undertaken by Babcock, which is building the first of five T-31 general-purpose frigates at its Rosyth yard in Scotland, and BAE which, as previously mentioned, is under contract to build the first three of an expected fleet of eight Type 26 anti-submarine frigates on the Clyde. The new FSS vessels will supply items such as food and ammunition to the carrier strike groups on deployment and are an urgently needed replacement for the ageing RFA Fort Victoria (A387), the only warship the British have that can carry out the replenishment task, albeit less effectively than the new logistic ships. Hopefully the world will be in a far better place with regard to COVID by this time next year, and things will slowly get back to at least some kind of normality. But once the dust settles and the government takes account of its remaining finances, the FSS project may be vulnerable to cancellation, or at the very least end up being downsized to two ships rather than three. (FSS Ships artist`s images www.savetheroyalnavy.org).

Royal Air Force

Above: KC3 Voyager tankers called in at Prestwick most days during the exercise. This is ZZ334, call-sign `Madras 39` landing on 7 October.

Military visitors to Glasgow International while Joint Warrior was running included RAF PA-8A Poseidon ZP801 `Stingray 05` which did some training on Thursday 8 October, plus RAF BAe146 ZE700 (below left) called in for a time. ZE700 reappeared the following day when I managed this distant shot of it parked up on the Royal Pan from Walkinshaw Road. Ongoing roadworks in Abbotsinch Road have ruled out parking anywhere near the executive ramp for photographs and by the end of the month a double row of fencing had been erected, effectively ruling out shots from that location altogether. A400M Atlas ZM412 `Ascot 481` did a couple of go-arounds and touch-and-gos on Tuesday 12 October.

Unrelated to Joint Warrior, the German Air Force made numerous training sorties to Glasgow International during October, the first of which was Bombardier Global 5000 14+03, call-sign `GAF 612` on Tuesday 13th which did a go-around of Runway 05. Two more German Air Force Global 5000s appeared for training the next day, (14th), namely 14+02`GAF 686` and 14+07`GAF 648` with the action taking place around noon. Unlike one of the Globals the previous day, rather than a low beat-up of the runway, 14+06 (above right) on the 15th did two very high go-arounds, breaking off early and climbing even more sharply on its second pass. Then, on Monday the 19th, 14+03, followed by 14+06 on the 20th, each made their second visit of the month. On the 22nd it was 14+04 `GAF 686`. German Air Force training flights continued on Friday 23 October: I saw Global 5000 14+03 climbing after a `23` go-around as I drove past Glasgow Airport mid-morning. Airbus A340-313 serial number 16+01,`GAF 898`, carried out a similar manoeuvre later.

RAF Lossiemouth in Moray has been reopened to aircraft following a £75 million revamp of the station's runways. The runways were constructed for fast jets such as Tornadoes and more recently Typhoons but the latter aircraft will be joined by a fleet of nine Royal Air Force Boeing P-8A Poseidon MPAs (maritime patrol aircraft) which will set up home here.

After being stripped and resurfaced, the runways at Lossie can now handle the takeoff and landings of the P-8 and other larger types. The US-built British Poseidons have been stationed at nearby Kinloss Barracks, a former RAF station, temporarily while the work was ongoing.

Lossiemouth`s runway improvement project began at the start of the year and continued throughout the Coronavirus lockdown. Separately, a £132m state-of-the-art maintenance facility has been constructed for the new planes. It can house three Poseidons at a time, while the remainder of the fleet can be parked outside on a purpose built apron. (Above Typhoon image © RAF/BBC).

It`s 10 years since the RAF's last maritime patrol aircraft, the Nimrod was scrapped and with no replacement until now, it left the UK, an island nation, without an effective airborne anti-submarine capability, a situation most would consider unacceptable. In addition to its military capabilities, the Nimrod proved its worth in numerous maritime search and rescue missions. Nine of these upgraded aircraft, would have been stationed at Kinloss in Moray but all were dismantled and scrapped, costing the taxpayer £3.6 billion. This, along with the decision to close Kinloss as an RAF station as part of government defence cuts caused a national public outcry. (Image above right © Channel 4 News).

The first of the Poseidons arrived at Lossiemouth on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 October 2020. Station Commander, Group Captain Chris Layden, said the base would be at the centre of the RAF's air combat power with four squadrons of Typhoons and two squadrons of Poseidon aircraft. Like the Nimrod that preceded it, the primary function of the Poseidon is anti-submarine and surface ship warfare, but it could be used in a wide range of maritime missions, both military and non-military. The Typhoons, whose crews carry out quick reaction alert (QRA) missions, had been temporarily based at Leuchars in Fife. QRAs frequently involve interceptions of Russian military aircraft detected flying near airspace of NATO interest.

(Above Lossiemouth images © RAF/BBC).

Above: A typical scene at Prestwick this time round with a maximum of four turboprop MPAs temporarily based and no USN Poseidon jets of recent years.

Above: Pipe Major Barry Ashby, RAF Lossiemouth Pipes and Drums, heralds the arrival of ZP802 ‘City of Elgin’ on 13 October while Group Captain Chris Layden (left in top photo) and Wing Commander James Hanson posed in front of their new charge. ‘Pride of Moray’ ZP801 touched down on the resurfaced runway the next day, with ZP803 ‘Terence Bulloch’ following less than two hours later as the third member of the fleet, having been flown directly from the US on its delivery flight. The fourth Royal Air Force Poseidon has been named ‘Spirit of Reykjavik’ in honour of the role played by the Icelandic capital and its people in enabling the Allied victory during the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. (Poseidon shots: © RAF / Becky Saunderson / Boeing / UK Defence Journal.org).

Cobham Falcons

At first, most of the aircraft involved in Joint Warrior operated from RAF Lossiemouth but Prestwick Airport has long since been adopted as a temporary base for Royal Navy Hawk T.1s of 763 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) and Dassault Falcons of Cobham Aviation Services. Although the Cobham jets are civilian, they work closely with the MOD and play a major role in proceedings. They`re equipped with onboard systems and special electronic warfare mission pods for radar and communications jamming, threat simulation and electronic surveillance. The Falcons also act as hostile airborne targets for the warships by running in at low-level to simulate a sea skimming missile, or 'launch' simulated missiles electronically which the navy can track and respond to with their defensive systems.

Belgium

BNS Leopold I (F930) was the only attendee from Belgium and the only one of the Glasgow contingent that I didn`t manage to photograph, either on the way in or when she headed out to sea. Unlike the other warships, Leopold I didn`t show up on ship tracking websites at all. As a substitute I`ve included this shot which I took in the autumn of 2016 prior to the start of Joint Warrior JW 16:02. From 18 November 2015 to 4 January 2016, she formed part of the Charles de Gaulle Task Force which launched strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. As mentioned previously, in March this year, Leopold I was again operating as part of the Charles de Gaulle Task Force when a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. The sailor was evacuated by air after he began showing symptoms. As a precaution, the Belgian warship broke off from its mission and returned to Zeebrugge about a month earlier than planned.

Leopold I is one of two Karel Doorman-class frigates purchased from the Royal Netherlands Navy at the tail end of 2005. Prior to 29 March 2007, when the Belgians formally acquired the vessels, Leopold I had been known as HNLMS Karel Doorman (F827). She had been named in honour of Dutch Rear-Admiral Karel Doorman, the Allied Strike Force commander who lost his life during the Battle of the Java Sea, a decisive naval battle of the Pacific Campaign during World War II. The Allied navies suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Japan went on to occupy the entire Netherlands East Indies.

The Karel Doorman-class frigates have a displacement of 2,800 tonnes and are just over 122 metres in length. They have a top speed of 30 knots (56 mph) and usually operate with a compliment of 15 officers, 70 NCOs and 60 sailors. Their main armament is an Oto Melara 76mm deck gun supplemented by up to 10 machine guns with a Goalkeeper CIWS for close-in defence. Other weapons systems comprise 16 x VLS firing RIM-7 Sea Sparrow Anti-air Missile, 8 x Launcher firing Boeing Harpoon Anti-Ship missile and 2 x Twin torpedo tubes firing Mk.46 Torpedoes.

Canada

No less than four Canadian warships took part this time round with three Halifax-class frigates berthing at Glasgow and Canadian Naval Replenishment Unit NRU Asterix tying-up alongside Greenock`s Ocean Terminal. All had sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia. If things had went according to plan this year, I`d have visited Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in May but the pandemic resulted in cancellation of the holiday. Last time I was in Halifax, I went on a couple of harbour tours. These trips are good value and sail past the Naval Dockyards allowing for some great photo opportunities. The Coastguard facilities on the opposite, Dartmouth side of The Narrows are also within range of a decent telephoto lens.

There are three major commands within the Royal Canadian Navy: Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT), Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), and the Naval Reserve. MARLANT, is responsible for the fleet training and readiness in the Atlantic Ocean and is headquartered at CFB Halifax, while MARPAC is on the west coast, with its HQ at Esquimalt near Victoria on Vancouver Island.

The British Colony of Halifax was founded by Edward Cornwallis in 1749 to counter French expansion in Nova Scotia. The ability to protect the settlement from the hill overlooking the natural harbour was a major advantage and following the destruction of the French fortress at Louisbourg in 1860, Halifax grew and flourished. To defend Halifax, British military authorities built a series of fortifications in and around this strategic port with Citadel Hill at its core. Between 1820 and 1831 the British had already constructed a similar albeit larger citadel in Quebec City. The star-shaped structure found in Halifax today was completed in 1856, and is the fourth in a series of strongholds to occupy the site. It took 28 years to build and was formerly known as Fort George. The present-day naval dockyard can be seen on the left in the above view. (Image © Global News).

HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332), HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337) and HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) were among the navy vessels present when I last visited Halifax.

Above view © Geocaching.com).

One of the most comprehensive shipping blogs I`ve found is Mac Mackay`s Shipfax which deals primarily with with nautical matters on Canada`s east coast, particularly those related to Halifax and other locations in Nova Scotia. The site provides daily updates of not only civilian and naval shipping movements but ongoing construction and development. It also features a wealth of archive material and is well worth checking out: Shipfax.blogspot.com.

On Sunday 20 September this year, Mac managed to capture the morning departure of three of the Canadian Clyde-bound Joint Warrior vessels. The ships initially went to Bedford Basin, the innermost part of the harbour, where they formed up in line then sailed back past the naval dockyards to take the salute as they headed out to sea. In addition to several military and civilian helicopters watching the proceedings, an Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft from CFB Greenwood did a flypast.

Currently, the Canadian Fleet Atlantic consists primarily of the following units: Seven Multi-Role Halifax-class Patrol Frigates, six Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, one Auxiliary Oil Replenishment Supply Ship, and at least one Long Range Patrol Submarine. The attached Fifth Maritime Operations Group provides logistics, administrative and technical support while Sea Training Atlantic provides training, expertise, and operational assessment support. In addition, the Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic consists of approximately 120 divers and support staff trained in mine countermeasures, routine and emergency underwater repairs, explosive ordinance disposal, seabed searches, dive equipment and maintenance repair, submarine rescue, dive training, and support to other government agencies. HMCS Toronto (FFH 333) and NRU Asterix are pictured below.

Below: The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has recently taken delivery of HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430), its first full-electric power and propulsion ice-class patrol vessel with combat package. DeWolf is the lead ship of six Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) with specialist capability for year-round operations in ice.

This is the first time in its 108-year history that the RCN is naming a class after a prominent Canadian Navy figure, Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf, (26 June 1903 – 18 December 2000). During the Second World War, DeWolf took command of Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Haida in August 1943 and earned a tough reputation, sinking 14 enemy ships in just over a year. Haida and DeWolf saw service with convoys to Murmansk as well as operations to secure the English Channel in preparation for Operation Overlord.

DeWolf earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for rescuing survivors of HMCS Athabaskan within range of enemy coastal guns on the French coast. He had become Assistant Chief of Naval Staff by the end of the conflict and during the postwar years went on to command the aircraft carriers HMCS Warrior and HMCS Magnificent before being promoted to rear admiral.

The other ships will be named to honour additional prominent Royal Canadian Navy personnel who served their country with the highest distinction. The remaining DeWolf-class vessels are Margaret Brooke (AOPV 431), Max Bernays (AOPV 432). William Hall (AOPV 433), Frédérick Rolette (AOPV 434) and Robert Hampton Gray (AOPV 435). (AOPV Image credits © RCN / Harry DeWolf photo © Library & National Archives Canada / Following NRU Asterix shot © US Navy / Specialist 1st Class Jimmie Crockett).

If it wasn`t for a few palm trees on the left hand skyline in this released US Navy shot of Canada` NRU Asterix on Wikipedia you could easily assume that it had been taken on the upper Clyde. It was, however, taken at Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, Hawaii, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, 2018. The event ran from late June until early August with the action centred in and around the Hawaiian Islands, and off Southern California. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, approximately 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel took part, making RIMPAC is the World's largest international maritime exercise. (Image

The Canadian Navy`s two Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ships have since been scrapped, having been operational since 1969, hence the need for NRU Asterix which is a converted container ship. HMCS Preserver, (AOR 510), is pictured above in June 2008 at her Naval Dockyard HQ in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Along with her West Coast-based sister HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509) (see below) she resupplied other Canadian Navy vessels at sea with food, munitions and spare parts as well as fuel. At 172 metres these ships were the largest vessels in service with the Canadian Navy at the time,

Aerial view of the Canadian naval base at Esquimalt on Vancouver Island. (Both aerial photos © Parks Canada and Military Families Resource Centre).

The British began using Esquimalt as an anchorage in the 1840s but its strategic importance was soon realised and facilities were swiftly upgraded. In 1862, the Pacific Squadron relocated to Esquimalt from Valparaiso in Chile. Fort Rodd Hill (Not to be confused with Rod Hull - he was the guy with the emu!) guards the narrow entrance to Esquimalt Harbour.

The fortress was named after John Rashleigh Rodd, a 1st Lieutenant on HMS Fisgard, who rose through the ranks of the Royal Navy to become an Admiral. The fort was operational between 1878 and 1956, just one in a series of coastal artillery strong points that protected Victoria and the naval base from potential enemy attack. The fort and adjacent Fisgard Lighthouse are now National Historic Sites of Canada.

Fort Rodd Hull is one of the best preserved and most complete examples of its kind anywhere with only minimal restoration.

The complex had three gun batteries, the Upper, the Lower and the Belmont Battery. Various artillery pieces are on display including a replica 9.2 inch gun. With a barrel of 37 feet (11.2 metres) the original weighed 28 tons. Two of these weapons were dragged up Signal Hill in Esquimalt in 1912. still visible. Esquimalt-based Kingston-class Patrol Vessel HMCS Yellowknife (MM706) is pictured on the left, approaching the harbour. Remnants of the early anti-submarine and anti-torpedo net defences that were strung across the harbour mouth are still visible, as can be seen below. The Belmont Battery`s searchlight position was cunningly disguised as a boathouse.

Erected in 1859-1860 by the British and Colonial Governments, the Fisgard Lighthouse became the first permanent lighthouse on the Pacific Coast of Canada. It was named after HMS Fisgard which was on station in the Pacific from 1844 to 1847. The original lantern in the lighthouse was brought from England along with the first light-keeper to begin operating on 16 November 1860. The light has been automatic since 1928 and still serves as a vital navigational aid.

Lead replenishment ship HMCS Protecteur (below right) was mostly known for her humanitarian efforts, but also served in times of war including Operation Friction and Operation Apollo in the Persian Gulf region. Operation Apollo, in support of the US military operations in Afghanistan, which took place from October 2001 to October 2003, was the largest deployment of the Royal Canadian Navy since the Korean War. In six months Protecteur logged over 50,000 nautical miles (93,000 km; 58,000 mi), delivering over 150,000 barrels of fuel and 390 pallets of dry goods to deployed coalition ships. She was also part of a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of UN peacekeepers.

HMCS Preserver had a long and eventful career too, supporting military operations in Afghanistan, as well as Cyprus, Somalia, and the former Yugoslavia. Both vessels were scheduled to remain operational until 2017, however, damage due to an engine fire aboard HMCS Protecteur resulted in that ship being paid off prematurely. She was decommissioned at a farewell ceremony on 14 May 2015. In September 2014, Preserver was no longer rated as seaworthy but provided a dockside fuelling service for the Atlantic Fleet at Halifax. She was finally paid off on 21 October 2016. Below: A Canadian Armed Forces Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone on patrol near Esquimalt.

HMCS Halifax (FFH 330)

The Halifax-class frigate, also referred to as the City class, is a class of multi-role patrol frigates that have served the Royal Canadian Navy since 1992. HMCS Halifax, seen here rounding the Dalmuir on her way to Glasgow, was the first of an eventual twelve Canadian-designed and Canadian-built vessels which combine traditional anti-submarine capabilities with systems to deal with surface and airborne threats. All ships of the class are named after a major city in each province (St. John's, Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver) plus the cities of Ottawa and Montreal.

The Halifax class underwent a modernisation program, known as the Halifax Class Modernisation (HCM) program, in order to update the frigates' capabilities in combating modern smaller, faster and more mobile threats. This involved upgrading the command and control, radar, communications, electronic warfare and armament systems.

The weather was fine when HMCS Halifax and her sisters made their way up to Glasgow, but when the Canadian trio headed out to sea a couple of days later conditions were pretty grim...

Even so, a few locals with brollies, a couple of dogs and this bedraggled crow had gathered on the Clyde Riverside Walkway at Erskine to wave them off.

The Canadian sailors would have been glad to see that at least one Scottish tradition is still going strong - despite the introduction of £1 deposit lockable shopping trolleys, many still end up in the river!

HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332)

HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332) (commonly referred to as VDQ) has served in the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Navy since 1993. She is the third vessel in her class and the second Royal Canadian Navy vessel to be named Ville de Québec. The frigate is Canada's only fully bilingual warship. She was getting a paint job when I passed the Halifax Naval Dockyards on my last visit to Nova Scotia.

Having shot HMCS Halifax from the tip of Newshot Island, I went to the opposite end for Ville de Québec to vary the angle and catch her passing the Titan Crane.

Below: Passing the Newshot Island reed bed on departure day...

HMCS Toronto (FFH 333)

I last photographed HMCS Toronto (FFH 333) back in late November 2018 as she made her way downriver on her way out to sea, after a visit to the KGV. The warship had been engaged in NATO's Canadian-led Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP), a multinational military operation in Poland and the Baltic States intended to deter Russian aggression. Just weeks before, on Monday 29 October 2018, Toronto experienced a power outage as she sailed up the west coast of Scotland. She spent several hours adrift before the ship’s technicians were able to restore power and the warship was forced to divert to Belfast for repairs.

Earlier in October of that year, lead ship HMCS Halifax experienced a minor fire in its forward engine room. The fire broke out in a gas turbine enclosure and was quickly extinguished by the crew. HMCS Halifax was underway in the Norwegian Sea as part of NATO exercise Trident Juncture at the time. No injuries were reported as a result of either occurrence. There have now been 10 shipboard fires or smoke incidents aboard Canada's fleet of front-line frigates over the last two years, according to recently released Department of National Defence summaries and statistics. The shot below shows steam billowing out from HMCS Toronto at HMC Naval Dockyard in Halifax in August last year. (Image © The Chronicle Herald / Tim Krochak).

The commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, said that although the episodes were minor, they serve as a stark reminder that the warships, built in the 1990s, are now in the second half of their operational lifespans and will require more attention and upkeep.

On this occasion, HMCS Toronto came to the Clyde after completing Intermediate Multi-Ship Readiness Training (IMSRT) and enjoying a visit to Reykjavik, Iceland. From what I could see as she passed by, it appeared that the wearing of face coverings on board were optional, although I`d imagine they`d be required on the bridge and below decks.

Left: Bombardier CC-144 Challenger 144618 of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) arrived at Glasgow Airport on Thursday 1 October and night-stopped. No doubt its appearance was connected with the exercise, especially considering the country`s high volume of participation this time round.

RCAF Lockheed CP-140 Aurora 140113 (above) was based at Prestwick for the duration of the exercise and was joined by 140112 on 11 October. The CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the highly successful Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the Lockheed S-3 Viking.

All aviation assets in the Canadian Forces come under the control of the RCAF. It operates two wings that support naval activities: 12 Wing provides maritime helicopters and 14 Wing is responsible for fixed-wing maritime patrol. There are approximately eighteen CP-140s on strength one of which is a training variant. The pair taking part in Joint Warrior 20:2 are home-based at Greenwood, Nova Scotia, while their Pacific-based counterparts operate from CFB Comox on Vancouver Island. The Aurora was acquired in the early 1980s to replace the ageing CP-107 Argus and to further support Canada's anti-submarine warfare mission obligations under NATO for the northwestern Atlantic sector. Coincidentally, this Argus is preserved at the Comox Aviation Museum.

In the early 1950s, during the Cold War, submarines of the Soviet Navy were increasingly becoming a major threat to the NATO alliance, and it was urgent that Canada's armed forces be strengthened and provided with a replacement for the ageing fleet of WW2 Lancaster MK.10s that were performing the maritime reconnaissance role. The answer was the Canadair CP-107 Argus (CL-28), a hybrid design derived from the Bristol Britannia airliner, which incorporated the same type of wings, tail surfaces and landing gear although the fuselage had been completely redesigned by Canadair. When work on the CL-28 began in April 1954 it was, at that time, the largest aircraft ever built in Canada.

In 1991, Lockheed shut down its production lines for the P-3 Orion. Three surplus airframes on hand were purchased by the Canadian military, but delivered without the anti-submarine fit. These three aircraft were designated the CP-140A Arcturus and were used primarily for pilot training and coastal surface patrol missions up until retirement in 2011. The following Aurora was on static display at a recent RIAT at RAF Fairford...

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Denmark

HDMS Triton (F358) is one of four 3,500 ton Thetis-class Ocean Patrol Vessels, all built and commissioned in the early 1990s, and each has taken part in numerous Joint Warriors over the years. These ships are primarily tasked with maintenance of sovereignty, search and rescue, fishery inspection and support to local (mainly Greenlandic) authorities. An aft helicopter deck and hangar can accommodate a single Sikorsky MH-60R which is usually carried. The Triton has been operational since 2 December 1991. The other Thetis-class OPVs currently in service are lead-ship Thetis (F357), Vædderen (F359) and Hvidbjørnen (F360). The latter ship`s name means `Polar bear` in Danish. As previously mentioned, at least one other Danish warship, Iver Huitfeldt-class Frigate Niels Juel (F363), took part in this exercise but remained out at sea throughout and did not visit the Clyde at any point.

France

FS Premier-Maître L'Her (F792) was the first warship to berth at Glasgow prior to the exercise, sailing upriver on a gloomy Wednesday 30 September. The vessel`s name translates as `First Master L`Her`, a tribute to Jean-François L'Her ( 24 January 1904 - 25 May 1940), who rose through the ranks to become an officer in the French Navy. In May 1940, during the German invasion of France he, along with his men, fell back on Boulogne. Two British Guards battalions and some pioneers had been tasked with attempting to defend the city during the mass evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk and other coastal locations. Rather than embark, L'Her volunteered to remain to assist but despite fierce fighting, the British were overwhelmed and the survivors were evacuated by Royal Navy destroyers while under direct German gunfire. L'Her`s lightly armed unit was no match for the German panzers and they were forced to disperse. As an enemy soldier was about to raise the Nazi flag atop a prominent landmark, L`Her took aim and killed him but was in turn shot. He was made a knight of the Legion of Honour posthumously in April 1941.

NATO classes Premier-Maître L'Her as a Frigate, but the French Navy lists her as a A69-class Aviso. This is an old term dating from the age of sail and originally described a small armed sailing vessel which was light and fast, such as a brig or cutter. Their main role was liaising between the various vessels in the fleet, between ships and the land, or from port to port. They also transported parcels and mail, and transmitted orders and intelligence.

With the widespread use of radio, and the introduction of mechanical power, the term Aviso remained to designate a fast vessel of medium size such as a torpedo boat, but now. although falling into disuse elsewhere, the French still use it as an alternative name for small antisubmarine corvettes.

A few locals had gathered on the south side of the river to photograph the French warship as she passed the Renfrew / Yoker Ferry slip.

The French Navy had a pair of French Navy Atlantics temporarily based at Prestwick. The serials were No.3 and No.16. The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic long-range maritime patrol aircraft has been a workhorse with several NATO countries since first introduced way back in 1965. The type`s main roles included reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare but it is also capable of carrying out ground-attack missions when fitted with relevant ordnance, A small number of these aircraft were also equipped to perform ELINT (covert intelligence-gathering by electronic means) operations. An updated version, the Atlantique 2 or ATL2, was produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Navy in the 1980s. Other operators of the Atlantic have included the German Navy, the Italian Air Force, the Pakistan Navy, and the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Weather conditions when FS Premier-Maître L'Her left the KGV on the Saturday were even worse than when she arrived. Heavy rain and a light mist made for a grey scene, so this was another JW participant shot from the comfort of the car as she passed the Newshot Island reed bed at Erskine...

Portugal

The Portuguese Navy only take part in Joint Warrior intermittently but NRP Corte-Real (F332), a Vasco da Gama-class frigate, attended this time round.

Above: CMS Boxer and CMS Wrestler wait off Greenock to escort the Portuguese warship upriver to Glasgow on 1 October.

NRP Corte-Real is one of three ships of this class currently in service with the Portuguese Navy, the others being Vasco de Gama (F330) and Alvares Cabral (F331). All are based on the German MEKO 200 design and were built in Hamburg by Blohm + Voss (B&V) and by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, using modular construction techniques.

NRP Corte-Real was laid down on 20 October 1989, launched on 22 November 1991, and commissioned on 1 February 1992. The ship is named in honour of the explorers of the 15th century Corte-Real family: João Vaz Corte-Real, Gaspar Corte-Real, Miguel Corte-Real, and Vasco Anes Corte-Real. All were involved in navigating the east coast of North America, particularly Newfoundland and Canada`s Labrador coast.

Above: Passing Dumbarton Castle.

The Vasco da Gama-class frigates are Portugal's major surface ships.

USA

(USS The Sullivans. Image credit: US Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Jim Hampshire / www.naval-technology.com).

According to the Press page on the US Navy website, assets from the U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, taking part in this Joint Warrior were Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Ross (DDG 71), FDNF assigned to CTF 65 based in Rota, Spain; Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), (above) based out of Mayport, Florida, and attached to the Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group; Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Medgar Evers, assigned to CTF 63 and operating in the Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations; and two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and a reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from CTF 67, based in Sigonella, Italy. Participating U.S. Marine Corps assets are “The Wake Island Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, ten F-35 Lightning aircraft, and a detachment from 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company embarked aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.

I took the above shots of a US Marine Corps F-35 performing at RIAT Fairford a few years ago.

The joint deployment of British and American F-35s on HMS Queen Elizabeth marked the operation of the largest air group of 5th generation fighters assembled anywhere in the world. On 7 October 2020, `Darkness 21`, Tail Code `08`, an F-35B Lightning II, made an emergency landing at RAF Kinloss after broadcasting a Mayday, apparently as a result of a fuel issue. Fortunately both pilot and plane touched down without incident. I`m unsure whether this was a British or US machine. (F-35 / Queen Elizabeth photos © Royal Navy).

USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13), pictured here at anchor off Greenock, is one of 14 Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships currently in service with the United States Navy`s Military Sealift Command. Launched on 29 October 2011, this vessel replenishes ships at sea with ammunition, food, repair parts, stores and small quantities of fuel. Two dedicated sister ships provide these supplies to the U.S. Marine Corps. During the course of the exercise, Evers departed Greenock, sailed up the west coast to assist with operations there, then repositioned to the east side of the country to do likewise there. By the end of proceedings, Evers was showing as berthed at the MOD facility at Crombie, just upriver from the Rosyth Naval Dockyard on ship tracking website Marine Traffic.com

USNS Medgar Evers is named in honour of Medgar Wiley Evers (2 July 1925 – 12 June 1963), a Mississippi-born World War II veteran and civil rights activist. He served in the US Army from 1943 to 1945 and fought in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. In the 1950s he worked to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi and enact social justice and voting rights. He was shot and murdered in June 1963 by Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist and member of the Ku Klux Klan. All-white juries failed to reach verdicts in the first two trials and it wasn`t until 1994 that Beckwith was convicted in a further state trial, based on new evidence.

These shots were taken on Saturday 3 October 2020 as Arleigh Burke-class Guided-Missile Destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), a frequent Joint warrior participant, transited the Irish Sea en route to the exercise area. A small boat exercise allowed the crew to further hone their skills. (USS Donald Cook images © US Navy / Seaman Christine Montgomery).

RFA Tideforce (A139) and USNS Laramie (T-AO-203) (below) appeared on the Clyde on Friday 16 October, the latter vessel having sailed from Rota in Andalusia. The Spanish town, in the Province of Cadiz, hosts the country`s largest military establishment, a US Navy base which houses US Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The Laramie, a Henry J. Kaiser-class underway replenishment oiler, was escorted to the MOD facility on Loch Striven by a selection of SERCO tugs.

Boeing C-40A Clipper (737-7AFC) of the US Navy make frequent appearances at Prestwick. This is 168981 which touched down on 7 October.

I believe the vast majority of the Clipper flights are personnel transfers between the USA and the NATO Base at Sigonella in Sicily, Italy.

Year-round, irrespective of Join Warrior, there`s always a chance of an outstanding military visitor at Prestwick. The latest came on Wednesday 21 October 2020 in the shape of Israeli Air Force Boeing 707-3L6C, serial number 272, which stopped in for fuel. It arrived about 09:00 hrs and was only on the ground for 1 hour 20 minutes. I didn`t see it on that occasion but managed a couple of photos of it on the ramp at Krakow Airport, Poland, a few years ago as I exited my Ryanair flight on arrival...

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Law Enforcement, Tugs & Support Craft

Above: MOD Police launch Barra off Dunoon. Friday 2 October 2020.

SD Northern River left on Saturday 3 October along with the participating vessels from the Clyde. The majority of the warships headed right out into the Atlantic beyond the Western Isles, but several, along with this Serco Marine vessel, continued north up the Minch. Northern River is a multi-purpose auxiliary ship used to support of the United Kingdom's Naval Service and is currently the largest ship operated by Serco, both in terms of dimensions and gross tonnage. Her duties involve target towing during naval training exercises, noise ranging and data gathering, as well as serving as a submarine escort. SD Northern River can also embark the NATO Submarine Rescue System.

Above: On 29 September, Tugs CMS Wrestler and CMS Boxer head upriver just ahead of French warship FS Premier-Maître L'Her to assist her into the KGV.

Conditions were far better on Thursday 1 October when CMS Boxer headed upriver to Glasgow along with NRP Corte-Real.

Below: CMS Boxer and CMS Wrestler head back to Greenock after assisting with departures at the KGV on 3 October...

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Other Vessels on the Water

Of all the non-military ships to appear on the Clyde while Joint Warrior 20:02 was running, by far the most interesting was Southern Star. This hardy wee vessel, made her way upriver to the Clyde Boatyard at Rothesay Dock on Wednesday 30 September at 18:00 hrs, shortly after the French Navy`s FS Premier-Maître L'Her. Southern Star was built in 1973 by Carrington Slipways in Tomaga, Australia, as a Patrol Vessel for the Australian Government. She entered service the following year, operating along the country`s North East coast, which includes the Great Barrier Reef, transferring lighthouse and pilot station personnel while supplying necessary equipment and provisions.

In 1988, she was sold to the Falkland Islands Government and after extensive modification and refurbishment, undertook scientific work in the surrounding waters. She arrived in the UK in 1992 and after further modifications served as a Survey and Diving Support vessel. In 1996/97 she carried out an archaeological survey of sunken treasure ships around the Cape Verde Islands. On the 28th February 2013, Southern Star completed a three-year Environmental Charter in the North Sea after which she was put up for sale and relocated to the Clyde. The original asking price was £825,000.

I`d previously photographed Southern Star back in September 2014, when she first arrived on the Clyde, badly in need of a makeover, but now, as of May this year, she has a new owner and will become an integral part of a 25-hectare seaweed farm off the Yorkshire coast following a major company expansion.The Southern Star has been bought by SeaGrown Ltd to accommodate a seaweed and shellfish hatchery, marine laboratory, company office, visitor outreach centre and a small cafe. The timetable has been pushed back due to the pandemic, but following some engineering works, fitting out at the Clyde Boatyard is nearing completion.

Although she will often be moored in Scarborough, the 37-metre vessel will work at sea during bulk seeding operations, while carrying out a number of other functions on what is understood to be the first large-scale commercial venture of its type.

Co-founded by Wave Crookes (left), a former Scarborough fisherman who trained as a diver in the Royal Navy, and his partner, Laura Robinson, a marine scientist, SeaGrown has pioneered a low-impact system that only uses the top five metres of the water to grow three species of seaweed on a run of floating lines. It aims to be the first UK company to introduce farmed seaweed into new markets such as bioplastics, biotextiles and pharmaceuticals by next year.

SeaGrown welcomed 18 metre-long twin-hulled aluminium catamaran Bright Blue, which previously served as an oil spill response vessel, in 2019, but Southern Star will greatly enhance operations. Wave said: “She is going to be one of the mainstays of our business. She`ll house some incredibly important key facilities which we couldn’t function offshore without. When we get the `Star into Scarborough we`ll become self-sufficient. She will enable us to operate how we need to, and not be dictated to by the weather or seasons.” (Above image © Andrew Jackson LLP / SeaGrown).

Coastrunner is classed as an MCA Workboat, Code Category 2, which means it can operate up to 60 nautical miles away from a safe haven. It`s 15.25m in length and has a 6.25t bollard pull. It features a towing hook with quick release, a fire fighting pump and 50hp bow thruster. Established in 1994, the boat`s operator Coastworks, owns, manages and maintains a fleet of specialist crewed vessels and provides a range of ancillary services including boat, barge and pontoon hire, pollution spill response, dredging, vessel salvage, fish farm installation and cage-towing, surveys and diving support.

Coastrunner, seen here passing the old Erskine Ferry slip at Old Kilpatrick, is currently assisting with work on the Upper Clyde, but last year was involved in a Scottish Water £2.2 million investment project to help protect and enhance the environment of the Firth of Clyde and coastal waters in the popular tourist town of Largs. The project involved replacing a short storm outfall pipe with a new, longer outfall pipe.

At the same time, the new 220m long pipe was built up at Fairlie Quay and once the trench was down to depth, Coastrunner, assisted by Challenger, and Coastworker, towed the pipe to site and held it into position while it was sunk down into the trench. Work started in February 2019 and was completed in the autumn.

The old John Brown`s Shipyard site beside the Clydebank Titan Crane is being redeveloped with new building springing up. Construction and clean-up work has been ongoing for some time and the workboat Oscar of Glasgow (above) has been assisting with waterfront operations.

Unlike most of the stretch of the River Clyde between Glasgow and Port Glasgow on Friday 2 October, James Watt Dock at Greenock was fog free. Among the vessels present at 09:00 hrs were cruise ships Hebridean Princess and MV Rover, local shellfish boat Guide Us (GK-77) and the racing yacht Drum, once owned by Duran Duran singer Simon Le bon.

On the Friday, vessels of the Western Ferries group continually crossed the Firth in the sunshine, transporting cars, lorries and passengers between Gourock`s McInroy`s Point and Hunter`s Quay, Dunoon. This service has been running since June 1973, initially using two modified Swedish vessels Sound of Scarba and Sound of Shuna. These had bow and stern ramps, allowing roll-on/roll-off operation. Traffic developed rapidly and in August 1974, the former Isle of Wight ferry, MV Lymington joined the service as Sound of Sanda. This chosen crossing was much shorter than the competing Caledonian MacBrayne Public Service route. Although CalMac's ferries were considerably faster, their longer route meant that both operators took around 20 minutes to make the journey.

In 1985, after the Clyde service was transferred to Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd, new tonnage was sought and the following year the company bought another former Sealink ferry, the Freshwater. She entered service as Sound of Seil and a further vessel, the Sound of Sleat, a former Dutch river ferry, was added two years later. Two more were purchased from Dutch owners, in 1995 and 1996. Both Sound of Scalpay and the second Sound of Sanda replaced older vessels.

In 2001, Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow delivered the second Sound of Scarba, the company’s first brand new ferry for the service. The old vessel was sold after a few years of mooring in the Holy Loch. A new Sound of Shuna followed in October 2003. In 2013 two further brand new vessels were commissioned by Western. These were built by the Cammell Laird Shipyard in Merseyside. Entering the fleet in October of that year as Sound of Soay and Sound of Seil this brought the fleet size to six, however, this dropped to four on disposal of the two oldest vessels (Scalpay and Sanda).