Saturday 30 July 2011

Take a look at your New Navy



The history of the Royal Navy dates back over a thousand years to King Alfred's first battle at sea in 882. The Navy defended Britain from invasion, attacked enemies and eventually established Britain as the dominant world sea power in the 19th century. The history of the Navy is to a remarkable extent the history of Britain.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy embraces the Royal Navy’s four service Museums and HMS Victory. Each museum is located on its own separate site and each is dedicated to preserving the past and promoting the future of Royal Navy’s activities either on the sea, under the sea, in the air or on the land.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy preserves, explains and celebrates the enormous contribution made by the Royal Navy during its remarkable history of over 1000 years, in the defence of the UK and our allies.

From the early days of the warfare under sail, to today’s complex matrix of naval forces, the Royal Navy has created an enduring spirit of camaraderie and mutual co-operation among its service personnel and the general public.

(Click on any of the links below to find out more about the individual elements of the National Museum of the Royal Navy)

On the sea
The Royal Navy operate a fleet of ships, employing 21,500 personnel.
Today's role involves peacekeeping, fighting piracy and the prevention of drug trafficking.

The Royal Naval Museum is one of Britain’s oldest maritime museums. The Museum’s mission is to make accessible to all the story of the Royal Navy and its people from earliest times to the present.


Visit the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth Historical Dockyard HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth, PO1 3NH.
Telephone: 023 9272 7562.
Royal Naval Museum

HMS Victory

Under the sea

The Royal Navy operates a fleet of submarines, employing 4,500 personnel.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum traces the history of submarine development, from Alexander the Great, to Holland I, to the giant nuclear powered Vanguard class of the present day peace keepers.

The Museum also serves as the Regimental Headquarters for past submariners. It houses a huge collection of photographs, transcripts, artifacts and archive material.

Visit the Royal Navy Submarine Museum
,
Haslar Jetty Road,
Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2AS.
Tel 023 9252 9217.
Royal Navy Submarine Museum

In the air

Aircraft operated from aircraft carriers and frigates are run by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, employing 6,000 personnel.
The Fleet Air Arm Museum has Europe’s largest collection of naval aircraft. In addition the Museum houses Concorde 002 – Britain’s first Concorde, and The Aircraft Carrier Experience - a realistic reconstruction of the flight deck and operation rooms of HMS Ark Royal.

Visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum,
RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester.
Somerset BA22 8HT.
Tel 01935 840565.
Fleet Air Arm Museum

By sea, by land
The Royal Marines are an elite commando force employing 7,500 personnel. 3 Commando Brigade forms a high readiness amphibious brigade, able to deploy by sea to the very doorstep of a crisis.
The Royal Marines Museum tells the story of Britain’s sea soldiers from 1664 to the present day. Imaginative displays explain their role in many famous actions such as the Battle of Trafalgar, the D-Day landings and the Falklands campaign. The Museum’s superb collection includes all 10 VCs awarded to Royal Marines.

Visit the Royal Marines Museum
Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 9PX.
Tel: 023 9281 9385
Royal Marines Museum


Carrier countdown begins with just 100 days until HMS Queen Elizabeth is named
26 March 2014
There are just 100 days to go until the biggest warship in the Royal Navy’s history is officially named.
To mark the milestone, the ship’s company and Aircraft Carrier Alliance who are building the mighty Queen Elizabeth are running a countdown until the momentous day.



Wednesday 27 July 2011

Live Event



DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE ROYAL NAVY?

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE ROYAL NAVY?

Tips for passing the Royal Navy Recruiting test
During your preparation get good at tackling psychometric test questions. During the selection process for joining the Royal Navy as a Rating you will undertake a Recruiting Test that consists of the following four areas:

- A reasoning test;
- A verbal ability test;
- A numerical test;
- A mechanical reasoning test.


The most effective way to prepare for these tests is to carry out lots of sample test questions over a prolonged period of time. The majority of candidates will cram in their preparation the night before the test which is not advisable.

Tips for passing the Royal Navy interviews
During the selection process you will be required to sit a number of interviews designed to test your suitability to join the Royal Navy.

The selection officers are looking for you to demonstrate the potential and the ability to become a professional and competent Rating. First impressions are important, so during the interview you need to create the right impression from the clothes that you wear to how you communicate and even down to how you sit in the interview chair.

Tests

You will be invited to attend several tests which all take place on different days.

Four-part written test

In the written test we will look at how well you can figure out problems, how good you are at English and maths, and if you understand mechanics. The tests are not designed to give you a grade, they are to show us what sort of jobs you will be good at. To find out more, download the Procedures and Practice Test Booklet pdf, below, or ask your local Armed Forces Careers Office for a copy.

PDF file Procedures and Practice Test Booklet

Interview

We will invite you for an interview a few days after your tests. We will discuss your family and friends, your schooling, work experience and interests. We will also be looking to find out how much you know about the Royal Navy and the job you are applying for, and how committed you are to a career with us.

At the end of the interview, we will tell you if you have been successful in the application process so far.

Pre-joining fitness test

Over the course of the application process, you will also have to complete the pre-joining fitness test, to make sure you will be able to cope with Royal Navy training. You will have to do a 2.4km (1.5 mile) run on a treadmill at a fitness centre near you.

PDF file Pre-joining Fitness Programme













SETT


Royal Navy SETT

The Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT) is a 100-foot (30 m) deep facility primarily operated to conduct training with submarine escape equipment, operated by the Royal Navy. The facility, locatedin Portsmouth, includes a fresh, chlorinated water column with a single escape chamber (as fitted to some classes of RN submarines) mounted at the base, through which students can conduct a fully representative escape cycle from 100 feet (30 m), closely replicating actions which would be required if forced to abandon a distressed submarine from depth. The SETT was commissioned in 1954, with the first students trained in July of that year. Since that time completion of ‘the Tank’ has been a rite of passage for all RN Submariners. Training includes ascents from increasing depths as a major element, but in addition is underpinned by lectures and practical training in how to survive within a disabled submarine, operation of emergency equipment and survival techniques on reaching the surface – a package of potentially life saving skills. Over the years, the SETT has been used to train submariners from Italy, USA, Greece, Canada, Israel, Russia, Venezuela, Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands – with the staff and facility enjoying a worldwide reputation for excellence and good practice. Owing to a combination of increased safety associated with modern submarine design, submarines operating in areas where escape would be impossible with current equipment and the risk associated with the conduct of training, the RN discontinued pressurised submarine escape training in March 2009.

The tower is also privately hired to civilian SCUBA dive clubs for the purpose of recreational diving. It is a popular 'novelty' dive amongst UK divers since it allows new trainees to extend their depth experience in a safe, controlled environment with good visibility and warm water temperature - two conditions in short supply in the UK. For similar reasons it is also used for freediving training, with participants including World Record holder Tanya Streeter. In addition, SETT has been used frequently for both underwater equipment testing, and to support media activity - notably hosting Blue Peter on a number of occasions with some presenters completing ascent training.

 

 


SOUL SWIMMING. Some people go to a deserted island, a waterfall, the rain forest, ... or some real or imaged place in their mind. To shut out the world and find some sort of inner peace, within a calm meditative state. I go back to the Escape tank in the UK. I do the whole run again, from the beginning: as you do. Suited up and in the chamber, feeling it all again, like it's brand new. Plugged in and waiting, keeping the Panic in. Cool under the pressure, fuck yeah. Wave your left leg in you are in trouble, I'm sure I couldn't move for shaking. In rushes the warm water, and I'm floating in my own private spacesuit. The pressure increases and I keep ahead of it, suddenly it's raining, there's drops on my faceplate. I'm suspended now, held on a tether, bobbing in the bottom of the tank. JUST BREATH NORMALLY AND YOU WILL BE OK A man swims up to me and he is talking, Fuck me I can hear what he's saying. 514 Sir and I'm hooked to the jack stay, and up, up and away. I lay back relaxed"at ease" Cradled in this fluid embrace, I ride quickly and gently, up through this magical liquid space. JUST BREATH NORMALLY AND YOU WILL BE OK How's the serenity? Flying through the void with Darth Vader Breathing in my face, my blood pumping in my ears and my heart drumming in my chest, I glide through this silence in my own company. 12 seconds and an eternity pass, as I rush towards the surface, Breaking into the noise and the bright lights, like a dolphin leaping free of the waves. Then it's back to the beginning again. REPEAT AS NECESSARY Or every 4 years.

Submarine (HMS/M Warspite)



HMS Warspite was the third of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the second (and final) of the Valiant class. She was launched on 25 September 1965 by Mary Wilson, the wife of the then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and entered service 18 April 1967.
Warspite underwent a two year refit, which was nearing completion just as the Falklands War started. After the war ended she carried out a long patrol around the island and the Argentine coast.

The submarine was decommissioned in 1991. Mainly operated out of HMNB Clyde, at Faslane (the former Clyde Submarine Base) with the Third Submarine Squadron. Her hull and reactor are currently laid up afloat at Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth until facilities are available for the long term storage of her radioactive components.

Notable commanders of this vessel include Sandy Woodward. Woodward went on to command the Falklands Conflict battle group, became Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and rose to the rank of admiral.



BBC documentary, ''Submarine'', from the mid 1980s.   







Tuesday 26 July 2011

Sub Lounge Featured Site (Diesel Weasel)

 
Diesel Weasel

Yorkie and Spud
 

Diesel Weasel

The Submarine Badge
 
 
Welcome to Diesel Weasel, a site dedicated to the diesel submariners of the British Royal Navy. Sadly the Royal Navy's diesel boats are long gone; the future, in their Lordships eyes, is nuclear. The last diesel boats, the ill conceivedAndy 'Roo' Sugden Upholder Class, were leased to Canada in 1998. Although this perhaps made sound strategic and financial sense on the behalf of the government, it brought to an end an era of submarines and submariners which stretched back almost one hundred years. Fine boats as the Upholders perhaps were, (although the design fault which initially prevented them firing torpedoes argues against this) they were no replacement for the Porpoise and Oberon class, at least in the hearts of my generation of diesel submariners. So now, with the boats gone and their erstwhile crews getting older, if not more mature, I thought I'd commit what little I remember of those days to digital paper.
Let me introduce myself, my name is Andy Sugden, I served in the Royal Navy Submarine Service from 1973 to 1995. The main part of the site (Footsteps) is a hazy recollection of my time on one of those submarines, H.M.S. Opportune. Although the narrative starts off on a chronological path it quickly diverts up and down the side alleys of my memory, leaping forwards and backwards over the years.
I'd like to thank the many submariners from several countries and navies who have taken the time to get in touchand sent in their memories and pictures. I'm always glad to hear fellow 'Diesel Weasels so if you have served in diesel boats and have a story to tell, or some images to share, please e-mail them to me. I have, in some cases, been careful not to name names, this is to protect the guilty in case their wives, sweethearts, children and, let's face it, grand-children should happen to surf by.
I hope you enjoy the site and pass on word of it to any ex-diesel submariners you know — when they sober up.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Diving into the abyss SRV


Diving into the abyss aboard Britain's world-leading submarine rescue system


    Eleven years after 118 submariners met a grisly death at the bottom of the ocean in the Kursk, a British team has developed the most advanced underwater rescue system in the world. Andrew Preston watches them go into action 


    The Nato submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) mates with a bottomed sub


    The Nato submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) mates with a bottomed sub. Nemo is the most advanced in the world and is jointly owned by Britain, France and Norway

    The British co-pilot of the rescue vehicle  speaks slowly and deliberately into his microphone: ‘Lima, Lima, Lima.’ 
    The signal is broadcast directly into the Mediterranean Sea via ‘underwater telephone’ using low frequency sound waves. The message is picked up in the control room of the Alrosa, a Russian submarine from the Black Sea fleet. The code words mean that the Nato rescue vehicle, known as Nemo, has successfully ‘mated’, or docked, with the Russian sub.
    At the same time a diver clambers through a hatch in the floor of Nemo with a spanner. He follows up the message with two loud taps on the hatch of the  submarine casing beneath him, then after a short pause taps a third time. This is the signal that it is now safe for the Russian crew to open the outer hatch. The  two vessels have established a hydrostatic water-tight seal, and suction is now the only thing holding them together 300ft underwater.
    All this is happening on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Cartagena in south-east Spain. Shortly afterwards the submarine hatch of the diesel submarine opens and a smiling Russian face appears. History has been made.



    The SRV prepares to launch from the back of the Norwegian mother ship, KL Sanderford, in the Mediterranean


    The SRV prepares to launch from the back of the Norwegian mother ship, KL Sanderford, in the Mediterranean

    When it was built during the Cold War, the Kilo-class Alrosa was designed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare. Its mission was to snoop, avoid detection, and try to track and, if required, attack Nato forces. Now, for the first time, a Russian submarine is actually taking part in a Nato exercise.
    Inside the rescue vehicle it is cramped and humid. In the forward compartment, with its bulbous  clear acrylic nose on the front, the pilot and co-pilot sit surrounded by joysticks and a myriad of dials and switches. Behind them, a Navy diver acts as the operator for the rescue chamber, which in an emergency can deliver up to 15 people at a time to the surface, or two injured submariners on stretchers.
    But today special guests are moving the other way. Squashed together in the back of Nemo, their heads bent forwards and knees touching from benches on either side, are military VIPs from Russia, the U.S. and other Nato nations, who cross from the module into the submarine, led by General Nikolai Makarov, Chief of Defence Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. 
    Andrew Preston in part of a Royal Navy escape suit, but nowadays submariners are encouraged to wait, unless something catastrophic has happened
    Andrew Preston in part of a Royal Navy escape suit, but nowadays submariners are encouraged to wait, unless something catastrophic has happened
    This exercise comes 11 years after the Kursk disaster, when 118 Russian submariners were left to die 350ft down in the Barents Sea. Back then the Russian government refused to ask for assistance after an explosion onboard sank the submarine. 
    It is still unclear how many died in the initial explosion and how long the other survivors stayed alive, although grim tales have since come out of tapping being heard from inside the hull. What remains a possibility is that some of those men might have been saved.
    ‘The Russians learned many lessons after that,’ says Captain David Dittmer of the U.S. Navy. 
    ‘But when a Russian auxiliary sub with seven men on board became entangled in lines and stuck on the Pacific Ocean floor in 2005 they did ask for help, and a British remote vehicle was sent to cut them free. They were just one hour short of their oxygen running out.
    ‘Now the Russians have changed further and are very enthusiastic to participate. They publicly want to be portrayed as leaders in this field. Submariners are a family too; we all understand that we have an enemy in common: the sea.’
    Nato’s submarine rescue system is the most advanced in the world and is based in Faslane just north of the Firth of Clyde. 
    Nemo was built in North Yorkshire and Britain is a world leader in this technology. The system is jointly owned by Britain, France and Norway, and is now managed by Rolls-Royce. The £75 million cost for development, construction and the first ten years of its life is shared three ways.
    Nemo can operate in heavy seas, in waves up to 16ft high, and can rescue from depths of 2,000ft beneath the surface. Beyond that, submariners recognise that there is no hope – their boat will simply implode and be blasted into pieces.
    This latest ‘free-swimming’ vehicle replaced an earlier LR5 rescue vehicle, the idea for which came to former Royal Navy submariner Roger Chapman after he almost died when he was trapped 1,575ft down in a civilian mini-submarine in 1973. He and a colleague had been laying a telephone cable in a two-man sub on the bed of the Atlantic, 150 miles off the cost of south-west Ireland. After three and a half days they were found and pulled to safety.
    The Faslane-based submarine rescue vehicle (SRV), which weighs 30.2 tons and travels at just under four knots
    The Faslane-based submarine rescue vehicle (SRV), which weighs 30.2 tons and travels at just under four knots
    The LR5 has since been leased to Australia, while the British have also sold systems to Singapore, South Korea and the LR7 rescue vehicle to China. At a recent submarine rescue conference a Chinese admiral made it clear to members of the British contingent, through an interpreter, that China would have bought more had our defence export rules not forbidden it.
    For the ‘Bold Monarch’ exercise in the Mediterranean, diesel submarines from Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Russia were ‘bottomed’, with rescue vehicles from Italy, the U.S., Russia and Sweden as well as Nemo, along with specialist divers and hyperbaric medical teams working to help rescue them. 
    The 2,000 participants in the exercise included  representatives from more than 20 nations; so as well as a historic meeting for Russian submariners with Nato, it also gave a Greek officer the chance to go onboard a Turkish submarine.
    ‘By their very nature submarine missions are secretive, except in the conduct of search and rescue, which brings nations together,’ says Rear Admiral Ian Corder, commander for allied submarine operations in the north Atlantic region.
    He is based in the Nato building at the high-security military headquarters in Northwood, just outside London. Down a spiral staircase from his office and below ground is the Maritime Operations Centre, with one side wall covered in giant screens.
    At the moment counterpiracy is a major focus here, but if a sub were to get into trouble in the north Atlantic region, for which he is responsible (from the North Pole as far south as Gibraltar), then this is where the rescue operation would be co-ordinated.
    If a submarine is in danger it will release UHF/VHF indicator buoys, which broadcast using reserved  maritime frequencies. They can also release buoys linked to satellites which send signals with an ID for the submarine which can only be recognised by its own country’s authorities. 
    Rescuers can then log on to a password-protected website, which holds details of all the potential rescue systems around the world, and their availability, and they can plan via instant messaging and in secure chat rooms.
    Admiral Sir Trevor Soar sits with senior pilot Tom Heron in the front of the SRV


    Admiral Sir Trevor Soar sits with senior pilot Tom Heron in the front of the SRV

    But it’s once they are alerted that the problems begin: how deep is the stricken submarine, how bad is the damage, what is the state of the sea, how is the submarine positioned, is there debris around it, and how many injuries are there?
    Submariners can evacuate via escape locks if it is not too deep, but nowadays they are encouraged to wait – they can survive for up to seven days on a bottomed boat, unless something catastrophic has happened. Nemo is designed to make its first rescue within 72 hours. 
    First, a ‘vessel of opportunity’ has to be chartered. This must have at least 4,400sq ft of deck space, and will deliver Nemo to the location of a stricken submarine. A total of 1,007 such vessels are being tracked at the moment, most of them working in the offshore oil industry. They cost between £17,000 to £40,000 per day to charter. Today’s ‘mother ship’ is Norwegian, the second biggest tug in the world, which is so new it still smells of paint.
    But Nemo is just one part of an entire rescue system. First an ROV (Remotely Operated Vessel) is sent to check the state of the sub, look for debris and, if required, deliver a pod containing equipment for oxygen generation and carbon dioxide extraction, as well as water and food. 

    A two-man portable decompression chamber at the front of the Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) unit - it can be docked with the main chamber to transfer patients


    A two-man portable decompression chamber at the front of the Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) unit - it can be docked with the main chamber to transfer patients

    If a submarine is damaged then those on board will more than likely be experiencing high levels of pressure deep under the sea – so the other vital part of the Nato set-up is the TUP (transfer under pressure) system, which is designed to prevent rescued men suffering decompression sickness, or the bends. If Nemo acts like an ambulance then this is the hospital.
    When it returns to the surface and is raised into its cradle it docks with two decompression chambers, which can house 72 crew members. A special medical chamber holds up to six. If required there are also two pods, which look like Apollo capsules, which can be used to air-transport under pressure anyone seriously injured to a hospital. 
    A control room above the chambers is manned by British and French divers who together monitor those inside using CCTV cameras, and watch gauges that measure the oxygen, carbon dioxide and pressure levels. It takes 28 lorries and seven giant transport planes (four C-17s and three Antonov AN124s) to carry the entire system.
    The Affray was the last British submarine to be lost with all hands, off the coast of Alderney in 1951, but there have been many accidents since.

    Inside the portable chamber, in which a patient and an attendant can be airlifted to hospital while under pressure


    Inside the portable chamber, in which a patient and an attendant can be airlifted to hospital while under pressure

    ‘Most of these have been in relatively shallow water,’ says Commander Charlie Neve, the UK authority on submarine escape and rescue. 
    ‘Accidents are most likely to happen in busy shipping lanes when a submarine is on the surface and also at night when the black submarine is difficult to see.
    ‘There have been plenty of potential disasters. In 2002 Trafalgar hit the seabed off the Isle of Skye, in 2008 Superb struck an underwater pinnacle in the Red Sea, and then last year the new Astute ran aground. There’s also the memory of the Thetis in Liverpool Bay in 1939, which stunned people at the time. The water was not that deep, only about 150ft, and her bow became wedged on the bottom while her stern was sticking up in the air. People couldn’t believe that we couldn’t get the men out – it just seemed unbelievable – but we lost 99 men there.’

    British and French divers monitor the decompression chambers from the control room above


    British and French divers monitor the decompression chambers from the control room above

    Once the Alrosa has surfaced again, some of the submariners come out into the light to gather on the upper deck of the Spanish ship Galicia, to mingle with other nationalities and shake hands in the early evening sun. One Royal Navy medic, who is back from a trip to see how Russian sailors live and work aboard one of their ships, says they were  ‘surprisingly welcoming. It was just like one of ours really, with family pictures everywhere and lots of dead pot plants.’
    The next time they will all gather will be in three years’ time in the seas around Poland. 
    ‘We all hope never to have to use these skills but it does give confidence that it won’t matter who or where you are, help will be there,’ says Captain Damiar Shaykhutdinov of the Russian navy.
    ‘Maybe one day Russia can host a similar exercise in our waters.’
    Then, for his submarine crew, it’s back down below to return to Sevastopol or wherever the Alrosa is ordered to go, once more unseen and unheard. 


    Wednesday 20 July 2011

    How to build a Submarine

     
     
     

    Britain's Reserve Forces

    The Independent report >> Future Reserves_2020

    Britain relies heavily on the contribution made by Reserves to our Armed Forces. They continue to provide a strategic reserve for UK Defence but have also increasingly demonstrated their utility on operations; indeed, they have played a vital part in our ability to mount and sustain operations, in particular over the last five years.

    Types of Reservist


    Members of the Reserve Forces fall into two main categories: the regular reserve forces and the volunteer reserve forces. The former is comprised of people who have a liability by virtue of their former service in the regular forces. The second consists mainly of people who have joined the volunteer reserves directly from the civilian community - the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve, Territorial Army, and Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

    The Reserve Forces Act 1996 provides for other categories, such as:
    • Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) - reservists who wish to serve full time with regulars for a predetermined period in a specific posting
    • Additional Duties Commitment - part-time service for a specified period in a particular post
    • Sponsored Reserves - These are personnel employed by a contractor to provide a service to the MOD

    Royal Naval Reserve (RNR)


    The RNR is based on 13 Reserve Training Centres and a number of smaller satellite units throughout the UK. The RNR provides a corps of personnel who train in their spare time to enable the Royal Navy to meet its operational commitments in peace, crisis, tension and war.

    Each year, most members of the RNR aim to spend a minimum of 24 days training in their own units as well as in Royal Navy ships and establishments worldwide. Some volunteers do even more, taking up opportunities to work closely alongside their Regular counterparts, including attachments to ships involved in exercises and operations around the world.

    In support of today's operations, predominantly in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are usually around 100 RNR personnel continually mobilised to work with the Regulars. In addition, there are normally around another 100 RNR personnel employed on short-term contracts filling Regular Service posts in both the UK and abroad.



    Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS)

    If you served full-time in the Royal Navy, there could be opportunities for you to work for the Royal Navy on a Full Time Reserve Service (
    FTRS contract.
    There are three types of FTRS Contract:

    • Full Commitment
    • Limited Commitment
    • Home Commitment


    You will effectively be re-joining the Royal Navy, so you will still be expected to meet the entry criteria for medical, eye test, fitness and Security Clearance.

    To find out more, contact the desk officer at NPT(Res):

    Email: FLEET-DNPERSNPTResSRCPO@mod.uk
    Tel: 012392 628748


    • You do not need to join the Royal Naval Reserve to obtain an FTRS contract

    • Under HMRC tax rules you will be required to take a 30-day break after leaving the Regular service before being permitted to start an FTRS contract. (This rule does not apply if someone is transferring from the RN to the RNR after their terminal date)

    • An FTRS applicant is not guaranteed a contract on the same rank/rate as was held in the Regular service

    • Certain conditions could apply to your FTRS contract if you left Regular Service with an Early Departure Payment

    Related Stories

    uk/reserve-forces-take-bigger-role-army


    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14202322

    Monday 18 July 2011

    Defence News


    Corporal Mark Palin

    Corporal Mark Anthony Palin killed in Afghanistan

    It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Corporal Mark Anthony Palin from 1st Battalion The Rifles was killed in Afghanistan on 18 July 2011. 19 Jul 11

    Soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles killed in Afghanistan

    A Military Operations news article

    18 Jul 11
    It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must announce that a soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles was killed in Afghanistan today, Monday 18 July 2011.




    Lance Corporal Paul Watkins

    Lance Corporal Paul Watkins killed in Afghanistan

    It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Corporal Paul Watkins, from 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's), was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday... 18 Jul 11

    Royal Marines help clear Helmand route of IEDs

    Royal Marines have recently helped cleared explosive devices from a key route in...15 Jul 11

    MOD scientist advises troops in Afghanistan

    Providing UK troops on the front line in Afghanistan with advice on anything...14 Jul 11

    Soldier thanks his helmet for lucky escape in Afghanistan

    A British soldier has had a miraculous escape after the strap of his helmet was...14 Jul 11




    LIBYA: Operation ELLAMY

    Additional RAF Tornados for operations over Libya

    The Ministry of Defence has announced that, in the coming days, the UK will...15 Jul 11

    Caterers keep fit while supporting RAF operations over Libya

    A caterer with the Royal Air Force's 3 (Mobile Catering) Squadron [3 MCS] is...14 Jul 11

    British forces continue attacks on Gaddafi's troops

    The Royal Navy, Army and RAF have continued to protect Libyan civilians at risk...14 Jul 11

    HMS Liverpool fires on Gaddafi boats

    HMS Liverpool has been in action off the coast of Libya this weekend where she...11 Jul 11

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