Taihoa liberty boat – still looking for a better picture and one of the Cattle Barge, if anyone has one
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Taihoa liberty boat – still looking for a better picture and one of the Cattle Barge, if anyone has one
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Marines Of HNLMS Johan De Witt Execute Para Jump On Water Exercise
November 14, 2013 – 15:54
On Tuesday November 12, marines of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, embarked on the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atlanta flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, have executed a parachute jump exercise in the Gulf of Aden. The marines are part of the Enhanced Boarding Element of HNLMS Johan de Witt and are able to carry out boarding operations in case of a counter piracy operation.
The para jump on water is a way of quickly deploying marines, anywhere and anytime, closely to a maritime unit in order to operate at and from the sea. If the marines are not on board, they can be flown in for a counter piracy operation. The para jump is a unique capacity to fight piracy, because there is no need for the warship to schedule a harbour visit to pick up the marines. They can carry on with their operational program, while the marines deploy through a para jump.
Marines of the Netherlands Defence Para School and Guardian Angels of the United States Air Force, also stationed in Djibouti, supported the para jump exercise. They jumped out of an American C130 aircraft of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, stationed in Djibouti.
After two so-called “sticks” with a static line, several free fall jumpers jumped out of the craft, including a tandem jump. This method, where two persons jump together, is used to deploy for example an interpreter or a doctor, who is not a trained paratrooper, during a counter piracy operation.
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RFA Lyme Bay Maintaining Operational Capability By Training On Board
Onboard RFA Lyme Bay, which is part of European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, the Boarding teams from the Fleet Contingency Troop and K Company 43 Commando Royal Marines have taken advantage of the Lynx MK 8 that embarked from RFA Fort Austin to practice fast roping techniques.
Each stick of the boarding team conducted 3 separate fast roping exercises, each from different heights and to a different location on Lyme Bay: from the flight deck up to the forecastle. This training is part of the effort to maintain the skills of the boarding team and their operational capability.
Fast roping can be useful and necessary to board a vessel in a different way than using normal boats. They also conducted a small arms shoot across the flight deck of Lyme Bay in order to maintain their military skills.
RFA Lyme Bay joined EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta on October 16 and will be part of the mission until half November.
