A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter has become the first British aircraft to land on the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford.
The Wildcat, currently deployed with HMS Duncan in the Mediterranean, is part of a NATO security task force led by the Type 45 destroyer.
A press release shared, “Duncan is at the head of a force of warships, known as Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), which patrols the central and eastern Mediterranean protecting its waterways and providing a powerful security presence.”
In the coming weeks, the SNMG2 will operate closely with the USS Gerald R Ford’s task group.
The Wildcat was dispatched to the aircraft carrier for a planning conference ahead of these joint operations.
Notably, “Royal Navy Commodore Paul Stroude, in command of SNMG2, and his staff were transported by the Wildcat from HMS Duncan to the 100,000-tonne Gerald R Ford.” This event marks the first instance of a British aircraft landing on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R Ford.
And they won’t even get a beer!
Snorkers?
😜
Nothing quite like a hit of ‘Gatorade’, the stuff is pure sugar and awful 😖.
Yup, had that fluorescent shit in California from my granddaughter…. Bleh!!!
I was once on an Op to SECURE and occupy a former Russian OP overlooking the Helmand crossing points south of Garmsir. The Cpl who was my 2IC informed me that he’d secured several crates of Gatorade from US SOF. Awesome.
Cue the first evening and one of the guys asked him, “Mac, where’s the water?” “I told you, I got Gatorade.” “Well what are we going to brush our F@?king teeth in you F-tard?!”
3 days – Just the camelbak and 2 water bottles you deployed with – and gatorade.
See, we just dont get paid enough to put up with this shit!!😂
It’s going to sound like a stupid question, but are they allowed to indulge in a couple of colds one when on our ships, like the marines on csg21
Not an expert but I believe it’s a case of ‘when in Rome’ so yes.
Random dit, when I was a civie I was in America with family, and we went to a “fleet week” event. Loads of American ships, with a few allied representatives (we sent RFA Argus). Mostly open to the public to have a look around. One of the ships was a German Frigate which we toured last, as the event was closing down. Anyway after asking a few questions in German it turned out that they’d opened a Biergarten on the Frigates HLS and were baisically serving the fleet from it.
Royal Navy: “We’re allowed Beer if we are more than 10 days at sea.”
US Navy: “We’re allowed it after 40 days at sea but our operational range is 38 days.”
German Navy: *Oompah Music playing and pooring Maßes of Pilz* “You have to put to sea to drink!?”
Excellent!👍😎
Anglo Saxons have so difficult relation with alcohol beverages, its 8 or 80…
Will this epic event go down in Naval history, do you think?
I was thinking upon similar lines. Along with Trafalgar and Rorkes Drift…
Ah yes Rorksa drift that epic naval battle…
You and Michael rubbing it in David-see my explanation below😉
How many navel assets were at Rorkes drift? I appreciate that in the film there was a small River & a bridge under construction, but I’m not 100% sure there were any navel assets there?
😆Not many Naval assets at Rorkes Drift Michael! But I meant in broader terms as in Military victories. I was lucky enough to visit the Isandlwana battlefield twice in the company of the late David Rattray-twas an awesome experience. We drove past Rorke’s Drift but didn’t have time to do the talk there.
Kind Regards
ps the Royal Navy did however take part in the defence of Ladysmith during the Anglo-Boer War😃!
What!