Bay Class Landing Ship

A civilian-manned fleet owned by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence
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Pelican
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Bay Class Landing Ship

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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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RFA Mounts Bay becomes minehunter during US Navy test

Support ship RFA Mounts Bay was used as the test bed for hosting a mobile US Navy minehunting force – including helicopters, divers, remote-controlled boats and automated surveying machines – at short notice.

The test off the coast of Virginia was intended to see whether a task force without a minehunter assigned to it could hunt mines by sending out a mobile team with all their kit – and to see whether it could be done on a British ship.

Around 120 United States Navy sailors, civilians and contractors formed the ‘mine countermeasures mission module’ assigned to Mounts Bay, which has spent the winter hunting drug runners in the Caribbean.

In just three days at the US Navy’s main Atlantic base in Norfolk, Virginia, the support ship – designed to land Royal Marines and their equipment during amphibious operations – was turned into a makeshift hub of minehunting.

Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 – known as the Dragon Whales – flew their MH-60S Sea Hawks aboard. The helicopters are equipped with a new laser system to detect mines below the surface of the ocean as well as a new piece of kit which can neutralise them from the air.

The core of the team joining RFA Mounts Bay was drawn from the US Navy’s Expeditionary Mine Counter-Measures Mobile Unit Two (ExMCMMU2) who used Mounts Bay as the launchpad for raiding boats carrying torpedo-shaped devices which can be sent out to scan the seabed; if they found anything, divers went into the water to inspect the objects.

The US unit also took charge of the various mine warfare forces and units embarked on Mounts Bay, demonstrating how the US Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary can work seamlessly together on a complex minehunting operation.

In addition, the Textron Unmanned Surface Vehicle was loaded aboard; it can be sent off on missions lasting hundreds of miles, searching for mines or submarines. This was one of the first times it has been successfully operated from a ship at sea.

Source - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... ay-us-navy
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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RFA MOUNTS BAY READY FOR 2019 HURRICANE SEASON

From drug busting to disaster relief – British support ship RFA Mounts Bay is getting ready for a summer and autumn as a ‘floating emergency service’ in the Caribbean.

The amphibious support ship is in the final stages of post-winter maintenance in Charleston, South Carolina, after spending the past four-five months supporting the ongoing struggle against drug smuggling across the Caribbean, serving as a base for US Coast Guard counter-narcotics team.

She didn’t bag any drug runners on this occasion – but her presence did cause some smugglers to ditch their cargos, as the team onboard came across sacks of drugs abandoned in the ocean.

The Falmouth-based vessel is two years into a three-year deployment as the UK’s Atlantic Patrol Ship, charged with reassuring Britons in our overseas territories in the region, helping them when needed and supporting the war on drugs.

Continues with images at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... ane-season
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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All the pieces of the jigsaw are in place for RFA Mounts Bay to respond to hurricanes and tropical storms smashing through the Caribbean over the next five months.

The auxiliary now has all the personnel, equipment and supplies needed to deal with the aftermath of a natural disaster.

The Falmouth-based support ship was used extensively during the 2017 when a series of storms battered British territories in the region, such as the Virgin and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Her Wildcat helicopter carried out reconnaissance missions to survey damage, Royal Marines, commando engineers and soldiers delivered aid, cleared roads, restored basic infrastructure and helped to reinforce law and order.

Continues with images at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... DBZ91TPaIU
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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RFA Bay Class; Bridge Views (on top; inside; below)


This post showing the Bridge Roof; aft of Bridge Roof; Bridge Front & Bulwark below Bridge
1 RFA_Lyme_Bay_(L3007)_Dock_landing_ship_(LSD)_16,160_tonnes,_Royal_Navy._(14278450121) copy.jpg


Looking down on bridge roof from high off the port bow and high off the port quarter
1 L3007-RFA-Lyme-Bay-014 seaforces.org (2).jpg
1 L3007-RFA-Lyme-Bay-011 seaforces.org (2).jpg



Views of the catwalk fwd and below the bridge windows:-
- 1st; Bosuns chair readied for lowering through an aperature in catwalk - 2nd; lowered and working in front of bulwark below bridge.
2a DtJSZZKXgAA1_Bt.jpg
2 DtJSYQRXoAA_SGz.jpg
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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RFA Bay Class; Bridge Views (on top; inside; below)


This post showing the Bridge Interior (in daylight) .......
1a Di9yj9OW4AIIChz Mounts Bay 2018 twitter.jpg
1a Djv0vAcW4AA7A33 Card Bay.jpg
1a DrKF1GTV4AAfJu9.jpg large.jpg


......and:-


RFA Mounts Bay on Twitter
@RFAMountsBay

It can suprise people how different the bridge is at night. It sounds obvious but working in almost total darkness makes for a completely different work environment #MadeInTheRFA #Night #Day #DeckOfficer
1a EDUNRZ1XsAAbQrR.jpg
1a EDUNRaWVAAAQOCN RFA Mounts Bay Twitter.jpg
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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Savetheroyalnavy.org

RFA Mounts Bay is making best speed for the Bahamas to standby to provide assistance for Hurricane Dorian. All personnel on board are ready to assist.
She is currently at sea off the Dominican Republic. Well to the south of hurricane the path. Probably about 48hrs away from NW Bahamas where the category 5 hurricane made landfall with sustained winds of up to 180mph.

Meanwhile the USN are:

The US Navy is sending six ships from the Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida into the Atlantic in an attempt to get out of the path of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to strengthen to a category 3 and possibly a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Florida.

The patrol ship USS Shamal (PC 13) got underway on Thursday, and the destroyers USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), USS Farragut (DDG 99) as well as the Littoral Combat Ships USS Billings (LCS 15), and USS Milwaukee (LCS 15), got underway from NS Mayport on Friday.

Not all naval vessels will be leaving Mayport. Some ships will be staying due to their maintenance status. USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS Detroit (LCS 7), USS Little Rock (LCS 9), USS Hue City (CG 66), USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) and USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) will shelter in place in the Mayport basin and will take precautions to avoid damage.

“Our top priority must always be the safety and security of our ships and aircraft, as well as our Sailors and families. We move our ships and aircraft in order to mitigate potential damage,” Rear Adm. Don D. Gabrielson said in a statement. “When maintenance status prevents storm avoidance, we take extra precautions to best protect these units.”

For the 'statement' see - https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp ... paign=Misc
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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A couple of new posts relating to the Bay Class can be read/viewed in General Naval Topics section; Ships/Boats Equipment forum; Aerial and/or Arrays thread.
Little h
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Pelican
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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Savetheroyalnavy.org

RFA Mounts Bay has arrived in the Bahamas, currently just north of Nassau ready for relief and aid work when called on.

The scale of damage caused by Hurricane Dorian to Bahamas, (A Commonwealth member but not UK Overseas Territory) raises the question, will more RN vessels be sent to assist RFA Mounts Bay?

(HMS Ocean redeployed from Med when Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands in 2017)

Possibly the #Westlant19 ships or HMS Protector potential candidates?
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Bay Class Landing Ship

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RFA MOUNTS BAY DELIVERS AID TO THE BAHAMAS AFTER HURRICANE DORIAN
05 September 2019

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Mounts Bay has started delivering essential aid to people in the Bahamas after the country was hit by a category five hurricane.

The amphibious support vessel has given support to Great Abaco, delivering shelter kits, water and other basic items.

A RIB boat was deployed from Mounts Bay, which has been in the Caribbean since 2016, with a Humanitarian and Disaster Relief team to join up with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to unload aid to those worst hit by Hurricane Dorian.

Captain Rob Anders, Commanding Officer of RFA Mounts Bay, said: “RFA Mounts Bay has been working alongside The Bahamian National Emergency and Management Agency and US Coastguard personnel, using our Wildcat helicopter to conduct initial assessments on Abaco Island and we have landed reconnaissance troops ashore.

Captain Rob Anders, Commanding Officer RFA Mounts Bay
“I am pleased to be able to use our people and equipment to send water and food ashore to provide aid to the Bahamian people.

“We hope that our presence in the area in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dorian will provide some peace of mind and reassurance to all those affected.”

RFA Mounts Bay was on stand-by in the Caribbean in preparation for hurricane season.

As well as the Humanitarian and Disaster Relief team, the ship is carrying vital aid and also has all-terrain quads, dump trucks, diggers and stores on board.

Its Wildcat helicopter has been conducting reconnaissance flights to assess damage, feeding that information back to the ship.

Since Hurricane Dorian hit, a liaison officer from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and a Department for International Development humanitarian expert have been on board to help co-ordinate the relief efforts.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The highly skilled crew and specialist equipment of RFA Mounts Bay have been on call since June to support our overseas territories and friends in the hurricane season.

“Its Wildcat helicopter has begun conducting reconnaissance flights of The Bahamas to help assess the damage and the crew have begun distributing UK aid.

“My thoughts remain with those affected and our world-class military will continue to assist the Bahamas Government to offer relief and aid to those who need it most.”

The Department for International Development’s team is working alongside The Bahamas Government’s National Emergency Management Agency and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, as well as other international partners, to assess the damage caused by the hurricane, and to plan the response.

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said: “The images of devastation and destruction across The Bahamas are truly shocking.

“The clock is now ticking to get help to those in need, and I’m pleased that Mounts Bay has begun to deliver life-saving relief items to those in desperate need.

“Sadly, we know all too well that hurricane season in the Caribbean can wreak this level of catastrophe, which is why we sent a team of DFID humanitarian experts and prepositioned water carriers, hygiene kits and shelter kits on-board.”

From - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... livers-aid - Which includes photos.

Also:

CRUISE LINES DONATING MILLIONS TO BAHAMAS DORIAN DISASTER RELIEF

The cruise industry in the Caribbean is donating to help the Bahamian victims of Hurricane Dorian. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Caribbean and Disney have all pledged millions in hurricane relief.

Royal Caribbean is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, and ITM— a partner in real estate development—is also donating an additional $100,000. RCL is also matching donations from guests and employees through their charity partner Pan American Development Foundation (PADF).

Royal Caribbean also announced that it plans to stock its ships with goods, including generators, water, cleaning supplies, sheets and towels, for delivery to the Bahamas.

Carnival Cruise Line’s corporate parent and its chairman on Wednesday pledged a total of $2 million toward hurricane-relief efforts in the islands.

Carnival Corporation also announced an agreement with the Bahamas’ emergency management agency and Medley-based Tropical Shipping to help fund delivery of donated food and supplies collected across South Florida to the islands. Tropical will ship the supplies in its containers, Carnival said in a release.

The Walt Disney Company is donating more than $1 million to the Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

Norwegian Cruise Line is donating $1 million, in partnership with All Hands & Hearts, and will match donations dollar for dollar. The company is also sending Norwegian Breakaway on a special mission to the Bahamas on September 5 to deliver supplies collected by its team members and the City of Miami.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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