Royal Navy in Afghanistan

The Royal Navy deploys some 1,000 personnel every year to support UK operations in Afghanistan in a variety of roles. Though many will not leave their bases during a tour, all must be fully prepared for any eventuality.

Royal Navy staff serve in Afghanistan across a range of medical, administrative, logistical and tactical roles, both at the main operating bases, such as those at Camp Bastion and Kandahar, and the smaller forward operating bases.
The Royal Navy ensures that every naval serviceman or woman preparing to deploy to Afghanistan receives the same rigorous package of individual pre-deployment training (also known as OpTAG) as that undertaken by the Army.

Royal Navy Ships and Submarines are also Deployed in and around the Region .. For Security reasons they cannot be named here,they are there to back up the Land and Air Forces as required.The RFA also plays an important roll as well Delivering Logistical support.

The Royal Marines' 3 Commando Brigade is the Royal Navy's amphibious infantry on permanent readiness to deploy across the globe, and is a core component of the UK's Joint Rapid Reaction Force. Together the Royal Navy's amphibious ships and the Brigade represent a highly mobile, self-sustained and versatile organisation, with a strategic power projection capability that is unique among the British armed services.


Having arrived in Afghanistan and completed a final course of training and acclimatisation to prepare them for their six month deployment, the Marines headed from Camp Bastion to their base in Shahzad – which will be their home until October.During that time, 42 Commando (Cdo) will be working alongside members of the Afghan National Army  and Afghan National Police.
 

The unit, who are deployed as part of 3 Commando Brigade on Operation Herrick 14, have now assumed responsibility of Combined Force Nad-e Ali South, which they will command until September 2011.
They took over authority from The 1 Royal Irish, who have completed their tour of duty.

Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines (CLR RM) is situated at Chivenor in North Devon. It is home to about 620 personnel from all three services, including Mechanical Engineers, Medics and Logisticians. No other unit has such an eclectic mix of cap badges working together.

857 Naval Air Squadron consists of 3 Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control (SKASaC) Mk 7 helicopters which traditionally embark in the duty Aircraft Carrier as part of a Typed Air Group (TAG). The Squadron  currently operates with 5 Pilots, 10 Observers, 1 Air Engineering Officer, 1 Intelligence Officer and 40 Maintenance and Support Personnel and are based at RNAS Culdrose, in Cornwall.

854 re-formed as a Squadron in December 2006.  Prior to this the Squadron had been working as 849 A Flight.  Operating the Sea King MK7; fitted with the Cerberus Mission and the powerful Searchwater 2000 Radar, the Squadron forms one half of the Royal Navy’s frontline Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) capability.

847 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operates the Westland Lynx AH7 helicopter and provides armed reconnaissance and light assault support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. The squadron was previously known as 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, from which it re-formed on 1 September 1995.The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset.

After Operation Veritas, the attack on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, it emerged that HMS Trafalgar was the first Royal Navy submarine to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles against Afghanistan,.HMS Triumph was also involved in the initial strikes.