The British Royal Navy has developed a modified version of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system for its warships. The first version, "Windows for Submarines," is being installed on the fleets nuclear submarines. Versions of this operating system is being adapted for surface ships as well.
The British selected a commercial operating system for this because it was cheaper to maintain, and easier to train sailors in its use. It took a lot less time to develop the new ship-wide network (everything is connected by commercial Ethernet cables and software) using Windows, and XP is one of the more stable versions of Windows (which runs on 85 percent of the worlds PCs). The security risks inherent in Windows (which attracts most of the attention from hackers) were tended to during the modification of Windows for navy use. How well the Royal Navy version of Windows stands up to the hackers, remains to be seen.
In contrast, the U.S. Navy uses Linux to run critical systems on its warships. The U.S. Army is using Linux for its networked FCS (Future Combat System) vehicles (which are still in development). The army is also converting many of its Microsoft Windows applications to run under Linux.
It's not just the better security Linux provides, but the fact that there are many versions of Linux to choose from, and the operating system is easier to modify (being an "open source" system, unlike the proprietary Windows.) Currently, the U.S. Department of Defense has over 200 Linux based software projects in development. The military uses custom made software for its most critical applications, and it's easier to create this stuff using Linux.
The RAF is trying to take over the Royal Navy’s historic Fleet Air Arm and assume control of all army helicopters in a plan to cut more than £1 billion from the defence budget.
The navy clashed with the air force at a meeting of senior officials last week. Its admirals are furious about a campaign, waged under the slogan “one nation, one air force” which would see the Fleet Air Arm scrapped in 2013, a few months before its centenary.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, chief of the air staff, is proposing to scrap all 75 Harrier jump jets shared between the navy and the air force.
Helicopters operated by the Army Air Corps, formed in 1957, would also come under RAF control. Its aircraft include Apache gunships which support troops on the front line, although transports such as the Chinook are already flown by the RAF.
The changes would leave the navy with no planes for its carriers until the new Joint Strike Fighter is introduced, which is unlikely before 2017. RAF chiefs want their pilots to fly the new aircraft from the carriers.
Senior naval sources say Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the first sea lord, has threatened to resign over the plans, although the Ministry of Defence said the claim misrepresented his views.
John Hutton, the defence secretary, told forces chiefs to come up with a plan to make up a £2 billion shortfall in their budget at last week’s meeting of the defence board.
A drop in the number of helicopters across the forces from the current 580 to 320 over the next four years makes the RAF plan for a single defence helicopter command look logical. It would also allow the axeing of bases and hundreds of posts.
The Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm are vulnerable because, under plans announced earlier this month, their 300 Lynx and Gazelle helicopters will be replaced by just 62 Future Lynx craft.
Army sources said the cut in helicopter numbers meant two Army Air Corps frontline regiments were likely to be disbanded by 2014, leading to the loss of more than a third of the organisation’s 3,000 personnel.
The Royal Naval Air Service was set up in 1914 and pioneered the use of aircraft carriers. In 1945, the successor Fleet Air Arm, had 3,700 planes flying from the navy’s 59 carriers.
Naval hits
1940: Torpedo planes sink much of Italian navy at Taranto
1941: Planes cripple German battleship Bismarck 1982: Sea Harriers shoot down 21 Argentinian aircraft in Falklands war for loss of two planes to ground fire
Picked this up in my IN box this morning. So it's a global problem and everyone seems to be out bashing their own Navy. Interesting how the Americans actually use as the prime example of a Good Navy. I hope that this message can get across in the UK. The article was written by Mike Bishop and dated 17th December 2008. Does no one realize throughout the World that the Marines is part of the Navy. The clue is in the name.....
To coin a phrase, what's the point of having this magnificent Navy if we never use it? Having not fought even a minor naval war against a peer enemy since World War 2, and totally uninterested in attacking the threat of piracy which is challenging free trade in the Middle East, it shouldn't be surprising that some might question”why have a navy”?
Of course every country with a significant coastline and dependent on nautical commerce needs some type of sea going force. The question should not be does America need a navy but what type does she need. Is it necessary for her to spend billions on an unmatched global force able to handle multiple threats anywhere on short notice, or might a smaller and historically traditional coastal and commerce protection fleet be adequate.
The USA currently possess a fleet that is really three navies in one. There is the aircraft carrier fleet consisting of 11 large supercarriers with up to 90 planes each, and backed by a surface combatant force of over 120 including missile and ASW escorts. Then there is the submarine force which includes 2 types, ballistic missile and nuclear attack submarines, a total of 71 in service which often perform solo clandestine missions. Finally there is the 30+ strong amphibious fleet used to ferry Marine Expeditionary Units and equipped with its own mini-carriers that can launch Marine Harrier vertol planes.
Rather than possessing this enormously expensive fleet geared for offensive warfare, perhaps America could return to its pre-world power days and build a fleet less aggressive, more defensive, and radically smaller than it now possesses. In fact the USN seems headed in this direction anyway, with its new Maritime Strategy released in 2007 that emphasis preventing rather than preparing for war, itself a very radical change from its 20th Century Mahanian strategy of dominating the sealanes and seeking a "decisive battle" with her foes. Likewise is it also looking to more international cooperation as its own operating forces consistently linger below 300 ships,with plans for deploying a "1000 ship navy" in cooperation with the international community.
Why not go the extra step and allow her allies to protect her maritime interests? America has traditionally relied on the British Navy as her first line of defense from aggressive continental powers. Now that the Royal Navy seems to be wavering on building her own expeditionary forces in the form of 2 large and very costly supercarriers, America should freely give her naval expertise, loan her spacious shipyards, perhaps offer monetary support, or whatever it takes to keep the very experienced Royal Navy in fighting trim for decades to come.
The world might regret the loss of the Royal Navy far more than the demise of the US Fleet. It is the British who have used their fleet the most aggressively since World War 2, fighting one of the few major naval wars of the missile age in the Falklands and also conducting more amphibious assaults than the US, against Egypt in 1956, and in the aforementioned South Atlantic War of 1982. Some also forget that it was Royal Marines backed by US Navy Seals which led the assault on Saddam's port of Umm Qasr in the 2003 Iraq Invasion. Currently a British commander is also leading the European Unions anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden while the mighty US Navy sits out the fight.
Traditionally a land power anyway, America might do well to continue funding her magnificent Army which is performing so well in our Middle Eastern wars. The US Navy could be downsized dramatically into a smaller and cheaper cruiser navy, backed by surface gunboats which could aid the Coast Guard in fighting drug runners and stopping illegal aliens. Then, about 12 large destroyers could be kept in service as a token surface fleet to show the flag around the world and to support our allies in wartime.
For the record, in no way do I support such a smaller and defensive-minded US Navy. As long as we can afford one, I believe the USA should lead the world on the high seas. No other nation on earth has ever done so with such selflessness, and with a goal of a more prosperous and peaceful world. Only the USA has any interest or ability to maintain freedom of the seas around the world, or can prop up our current global economy in which its benefits all nations, even those who hate us. The point of this analysis has only been to remind our naval leaders of the responsibility they hold towards keeping this peace. A stand-off passive fleet uninterested in today's problems, or seeking to avoid challenges when it is thrust upon them as in the outbreak of piracy in recent years, is a luxury we can no longer afford. Use it or lose it.
Taken from an Indian Navy Website. Why don't we tell the rest of the World that our Governments given up on us. I think we need to put some adverts in the Times looking for Admirals, Captains and Government Officials. The key requirement will be back bone. Whatever happened to ships of wood and men of steel. Do NOT let our Government get away with letting the Royal Navy shrink in size to around 17 ships over the next ten years. It makes me sad that someone in the Indian Navy can make comments like this and we cannot even argue our case. Come on Lads..... Lets get stuck in an tackle the Pirate issue...
The Gulf of Aden is awash with Somalian pirates who have been cheerfully capturing merchant vessels and holding them and their crews to ransom, all this despite the presence of American and European warships supposedly there to prevent these nefarious activities.
All the commanders (or their on-board PR men) say, when invited to explain why they can’t prevent the piracy or do anything about the pirates’ lairs, well known to all of them, is to say that they can’t do anything because it might put the captured crews at hazard.
Well the Indian navy is taking a more robust attitude, sinking a pirate boat a month or so ago and now capturing 23 of them as they tried to pinch merchant vessel the MV Gibe.
A couple of hundred years ago the Royal Navy cemented its reputation as the master of the seas through the audacious exploits of the captains of its fast, heavily-armed frigates against piratical riff-raff like these Somalis.
Captain Jack Aubrey in Patrick Brien’s collection of novels is how we envisage them.
Now the British are agonising about building two huge (and probably useless and vulnerable) aircraft carriers at a time when they have neither the frigates, or apparently the will, to carry on in the glorious traditions of the Royal Navy and police the seas.
They should take a leaf out of the Indian navy’s book.
(How unusual the Government yet again sets such low standards and still fails to achieve them)
The Armed Forces yesterday became the first significant victims of government attempts to reduce spending in the face of the advancing recession.
Two programmes worth £20 billion will be cut and delayed after defence chiefs were told that there was not enough money to go ahead as planned.
The announcement throws into disarray the Army’s £16 billion update to armoured vehicles, while the Royal Navy’s £3.9 billion project for two new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers is postponed for two years.
The statement from John Hutton, the Defence Secretary, sparked anger and accusations that the cuts went against the Prime Minister’s promise to help Britain to spend its way out of the downturn.
Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, called on ministers to spend more time defending Britain. “Only a few weeks ago Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling said that they would bring forward capital projects to boost the economy. Now they are announcing cuts and delays to major programmes,” he said.
The UK National Defence Association, which is supported by three former chiefs of the defence staff, voiced its concern. Commander John Muxworthy, its chief executive officer, said: “The Government is pouring hundreds of billions of pounds into a possibly vain endeavour to solve the financial and banking crisis but at the same time cutting back on the nation’s defence and security. This is folly.”
Defence sources said that Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord, had argued robustly to stick to the existing aircraft carrier programme under which the first ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, would have come into service in 2014, and the second, HMS Prince of Wales, in 2016.
He and the other Service chiefs had expressed “disappointment” at the proposals but they had reached a collective decision to give their approval when faced with the financial imperative of saving money and ensuring the highest priority be given to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The two carriers — first announced in 1998 as the centrepiece of the Government’s new expeditionary strategy — were supposed to have entered service in 2012 and 2014 but were then delayed two years. Mr Hutton’s announcement means that HMS Queen Elizabeth will now not be ready for action until at least 2015.
It is a serious blow for the Royal Navy, which has had to bear the brunt of the cost-saving exercise forced on Mr Hutton to balance the books and resolve a £2 billion hole in the defence budget. New fuel tankers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, vital support vessels for the Navy, have also been delayed.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, had recently been reassured that the Army’s Future Rapid Effect System (Fres), a new generation of 3,000 armoured vehicles to replace ageing models such as the Saxon troop-carrier and Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle, was high on the list of MoD priorities. The original in-service date for these new vehicles of 2009 is now seen as pie in the sky.
With an overall price tag of £16 billion, however, Mr Hutton has had to cut a swath through the Army’s programme. A new utility vehicle to replace the Saxon was supposed to be based on the Piranha V design. In May, before the credit crunch began to bite hard, the MoD announced that it had provisionally accepted this design. Mr Hutton said yesterday that he was withdrawing approval for the vehicle and gave no date for when a new round of bids could be made. He acknowledged that it would mean a delay in the programme.
He is pressing ahead, however, with a Fres version of the Scimitar and Spartan vehicles, as well as a programme to upgrade the existing Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicle.
If you have read down this far without feeling GUILTY about what we are doing to our armed forces then you are a better man then me. I urge you ALL to join Actions Groups to stop us becoming a coastal defence forces.
The world's most advanced destroyer has been officially handed over to the Royal Navy.
HMS Daring will be the first of the Royal Navy's series of six Type 45 Destroyers to enter service.
The 7,350-tonne ship features the latest propulsion, anti-aircraft weapon and stealth technology.
Staff from BVT Surface Fleet's shipyard marched off the vessel and were replaced by its Royal Navy crew at an 'acceptance off contract' ceremony in Scotland. The new crew marched onboard after the white ensign was raised over the ship's flight deck for the first time.
The warships have nearly twice the range - about 7,000 miles - and are 45% more fuel-efficient than the Type 42 destroyers they are replacing through a £6 billion project.
Captain Paul Bennett said: "As commanding officer of Daring, it is an absolute privilege to be the first captain of a ship in the Type 45 fleet.
"Daring is a great example of our 21st century Royal Navy and both my crew and I have been looking forward to this occasion for several months while we have been standing by our ship.
"The Royal Navy team has worked tirelessly alongside BVT, Government departments and the many partners who have ensured that this ship is one of the best in the world. I must pay tribute to them for their hard work and commitment."
Speaking after the ceremony, BVT chief executive Alan Johnston said: "Today is a combination of the commitment and exceptional partnership working between BVT, the Royal Navy, the MOD and all of our partners, suppliers and contractors to produce one of the finest ships in the world that will, in the next 12 months, enter service with the Royal Navy.
"Each and every person who has been fortunate enough to play a role in bringing this ship together should be extremely proud of what they have achieved. Daring is an exceptional ship and I am delighted to be able to hand her over on behalf of BVT today."
Last week I had the pleasure of spending time meeting our Royal Navy personnel in the Gulf, and their American counterparts.
By Dr Liam Fox
I cannot overstate what an amazing job our Navy is doing in that region of the world. Every senior American officer I met praised the British contribution to the maritime security operations in the Gulf as being essential for success. Vice Admiral Gortney, Commander of the US Fifth Fleet, told me that the Royal Navy's mine clearance capabilities are the best in the world. Of course, in the event of an attempted closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, our mine clearing ships will be absolutely vital.
To show its thanks this Government has conned the Royal Navy into taking cuts that it can barely cope with while still asking it to do more and more.
The path, which has led us to where our Navy is today, has been one of betrayal and contempt by the Government. Time and time again, since the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, our Navy has been blackmailed into accepting cuts to its fleet to ensure the eventual addition of the two new carriers which are so desperately needed.
In the 1998 Strategic Defence Review our Navy agreed to cut its fleet of 12 attack submarines to 10 and its fleet of 35 destroyers and frigates to 32 – in return for the promise of the two carriers. A decade later we find our Navy with only 8 attack submarines (with a probable reduction to only 6 or 7) and an astonishingly low 22 destroyers and frigates. Yet maritime commitments have not decreased since 1998, but have risen at a time when our Navy has been slashed, mothballed, and in some cases, sold off.
I suspect that there must be a profound sense of betrayal that is now felt by our brave sailors and submariners. And who can blame them?
And we are now hearing rumours of further cuts and potential delays to the carrier programme. Make no mistake; any further cuts to our front line resources will have an impact on Britain's national security capability. We live in an uncertain and dangerous world. A world where our economic and security interests are so interlinked into a larger global interdependent network that we have an unavoidable shared set of interests with a multitude of actors in all parts of the globe. As a consequence, Britain's economic, trade, and security interests are not only found here at home, Gibraltar, or the Falklands, but around the globe from the Hormuz Strait to the Malacca Strait – and most everywhere in between. In this complex world, British interests have no boundaries.
Because of this we must have the ability to project power, influence, and if necessary, military force around the world – when a carrier group moves into the Gulf it sends a clear message to the region. This is more relevant now than at any time in our recent history. Yet we have a Government which has continued to make commitments it is unable to resource.
A perfect example of this is our involvement in the forthcoming EU-led maritime security mission off the Horn of Africa. In order to contribute a frigate to this mission we had to take a frigate planned for deployment to the South Atlantic and replace it with a Royal Fleet Auxiliary maintenance ship – a very important ship but hardly a ship of war! The Government must explain how this won't impact on the security of the Falklands. What on earth are we doing putting EU flag-waving ahead of our own security priorities? EU nations could have chosen to supplement the coalition force CTF 150 or the Nato mission in the region. It all smacks of politics more than piracy, and Labour have played into the hands of those who want more EU military capability, just as Tony Blair did at St Malo ten years ago.
The high seas are a dangerous place to operate. Pirates are capturing hundreds of millions of pounds sterling in loot off the coast of Africa, Iran has just finished a full naval exercise in the Gulf around the Strait of Hormuz, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has recently announced the construction of several aircraft carriers within the next two years which could eventually lead to a total of five or six aircraft carrier battle groups.
The fact that our navy is able to accomplish so much and be held in such high regard even after a decade of Labour neglect is testament to the professional ethos of every sailor, marine and submariner in the Royal Navy. To think that Britain can manage its current maritime responsibilities with anything less than it has now is not only unrealistic but a betrayal of our heritage and downright irresponsible in a dangerous age.
A review of major defence projects will next week confirm that the MoD does not have enough money to meet its planned timetable for buying new ships, warplanes and armoured vehicles.
Instead of cutting any projects outright, John Hutton, the Defence Secretary, has decided to delay several of them instead.
The biggest to be affected will be the £3.9 billion purchase of two new aircraft carriers.
The vessels had been due to enter service in 2014 and 2016. But one of the new ships will now be delayed by at least a year and possibly two.
The delay will raise fears for jobs in the defence industry. The MoD estimates that the project will sustain around 10,000 jobs both directly and indirectly.
MoD officials said that while some jobs may be lost as a consequence, prolonging the construction period for the carriers had the potential to support jobs over a longer period.
The new timetable will also force the Navy to put off the retirement of HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal, the existing carriers.
That will mean that the heart of Britain's naval power in the next decade will be two ships which are both more than 30 years old and well past their best.
Illustrious, the flagship of the fleet, has been in service since 1982 and, according to the MoD's current timetable, is due to retire or "pay-off" in 2012. The Ark Royal entered service in 1985 and is due to retire in 2015. Both ships already require ever-longer spells in dock to allow them to go on operating.
Mr Hutton is likely to present the review to MPs on Tuesday and argue that delaying the carriers will mean they enter service at the same time as the new generation of fighter aircraft they are intended to carry.
1. Build a shelf in the top of your wardrobe, fit a thin mattress and sleep on top of it.
2. Remove the wardrobe door and replace it with a curtain that is too small.
3. Wash your socks and underpants in the bathroom sink every night, then hang them on the water pipes to dry.
4. Four hours after you have gone to bed, instruct your wife to whip open the curtain, shine a torch in your face and say, "Sorry mate, wrong pit!"
5. When you have a shower, remember to turn the water off when you soap.
6. Every time there is a thunderstorm, sit in a wobbly rocking-chair and rock as hard as you can until you are violently sick.
7. Put diesel oil into a humidifier and set it on high to achieve that wonderful Ship Aroma.
8. Don't watch TV except for a movie at 2030. For added realism, have the family vote for which movie to have and then select a different one.
9. Leave a lawnmower running in the house to re-create correct noise levels.
10.Have the postman or paperboy give you a haircut fortnightly.
11.Once a week, blow compressed air up your chimney, ensuring that the soot is carried over to your neighbour's home. When he comes to complain, laugh in his face and say "That's life in a blue suit mate"
12.Buy a rubbish compactor, but only use it once a week, storing all of your rubbish in the shower cubicle.
13.Wake up at midnight each night and make a sandwich out of anything you can find.
14.Have a fridge in your home specifically for beer. put a lock on it and give the key to the local policeman.
15.Keep spare keys for above and empty it every lunchtime.
16.Devise your family menu a week in advance without looking in the fridge or freezer.
17.Once a month, take apart every household appliance then re-assemble them.
18.Use four spoonfuls of coffee per cup and wait 3 hours before drinking it.
19.Invite 40 people you don't like, to stay in your house for a couple of months.
20.Install a small fluorescent strip light under your coffee table then lie underneath it to read a book.
21.Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills of all the doors in the house, so you will either bang your head or skin your shins every time you pass through them.
22.When baking a cake, prop one side of the cake tin against the side of the oven and when it has cooled, spread icing thickly on lower side to even it out.
23.Every so often throw one of the dogs into the bath and scream "Man overboard!" Sling in a sponge with a flag on it, then run into the kitchen and sweep all the pots and pans onto the floor and yell at your wife for not securing for sea.
24.Get your wife and kids to clean their rooms every evening and at 1900 wander around the house with the local policeman.
25.Name your favourite shoes "Steaming Bats" then get the kids to hide them around the house.
26.Lie on your bed, or sofa and fart for absolutely no reason.
27.Insist on going to the local post office for your mail and get them to phone you when it is ready for collection.
28.On Saturday morning walk around the house, whistling loudly and insist that everyone you pass stands to attention.
29.Paint the outside of your house battleship grey and put the number on the wall in big black letters.
30.Put windows and a bloody big wheel in your loft.
31.Every Thursday at 0500 in the morning, run around the house yelling "Hands to Action Stations!"
32. When the family demands more food, yell back at them "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR 39p PER DAY, PER MAN"!
THE Royal Navy's amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark will sail into the Tyne, bound for Northumbrian Quay, North Shields, on Thursday, December 4, for an extremely busy four-day visit.
Among many activities, the ship, which enjoys close ties with County Durham, will host a reception for 380 invited guests, as well as a carol concert on board, helping to kick off the festive season in style.
The carol concert is being hosted by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Nicolas Thomas Wright, on board Bulwark and the Commanding Officer, Captain Wayne Keble.
It will be jointly conducted by the ship's chaplain Mike Hills and Canon Jon Bell, Senior Chaplain to Durham Diocese. And the Durham Singers will be on hand to ensure sweet music throughout. A perfect opportunity for the crew and guests to truly enjoy some Christmas spirit
In addition to these two large events, members of the ship's company will be involved in a vast range of activities, from visits to schools and other affiliated organisations within the Durham area, to sporting fixtures – including rugby, golf, netball and men's and ladies' soccer.
Amazingly, too, the crew will also find time to welcome the people of Durham, Northumbria, Sunderland and Tyneside aboard with a ship open to visitors event on the Sunday (December 7) from 11am-3.30pm.
This is a chance for visitors to meet the ship's crew and learn more about life on the ocean waves and what it is like to live and work on board a warship. Admission is free.
And many young people and community organisations will also benefit from the visit, with a number of different visits and tours planned.
These include catering students from New College Durham heading on board to get experience of on-board cooking and service in the ship's galley and wardroom; a Marines Awareness Day with the Royal Marines Commando Display Team for students from New College Durham, Tyneside Metropolitan College and South Tyneside College; a guided tour for local ethnic community leaders; and a football match between the ship and Consett YMCA.
Affiliation visits are considered extremely important, as they anchor the ship in her twinned community and it allows the people of that area, as well as the ship's company, to maintain a close relationship.
Numbered among the ship's affiliations are Durham County, the Bishop of Durham, Forest of Teesdale Primary School, Trinity School (Durham), Harbour Lodge Care Home (Durham), Aycliffe Young Offenders Institute (Durham), Giggleswick School Combined Cadet Force (North Yorkshire) and Bishop Auckland Hospital.
In the middle of the pacy programme, the ship's company will also be reunited with 12 of its number, who return after several days on the road on two wheels – the dozen generous members of the crew have cycled the 495 miles from Plymouth (the ship's home port) to Durham to raise cash for Help for Heroes and the ship's other affiliated charities.
And the ship's company, including the commanding officer, will undertake a treadmill run to raise more charity funds, aiming to complete 192 miles – equivalent to running the entire border of the County of Durham.
Commanding Officer of HMS Bulwark, Captain Wayne Keble said: "We really are looking forward to this visit.
"It's an action-packed four days and there are opportunities for every single member of the crew to get involved with some aspect of the visit.
"All visits are enjoyable, but one to a ship's affiliated area is doubly so – and we are very lucky to be affiliated to an area which has shown great pride in HMS Bulwark and has always extended hospitality which is second to none.
"We look forward to being able to reaffirm the ties which Bulwark and the Navy has with England's north east and I am, in particular, looking forward to the chance to welcome visitors on board this fine ship."
HMS Bulwark is 176 metres long and is one of the Royal Navy's largest ships. She is designed as an amphibious troop carrier; her regular ship's complement of some 320 crew can swell to more than 1,000 with Royal Marines troops embarked to full capacity.
Capable of embarking, transporting, deploying, sustaining and recovering troops with their equipment and vehicles, she is also an afloat command platform, fitted with the most modern combat support system.
With organic landing craft and an embarked squadron of Royal Marines, HMS Bulwark is a highly versatile platform able to operate across the full spectrum of defence activities in support of joint expeditionary operations.
