Fleet Air Arm aviators are exercising with RN P2000 boats and the Norwegian Navy in the fjords around Bergen as they prepare for the flagship maritime deployment of 2025.
A Wildcat flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron has embarked aboard HNoMS Otto Sevdrup for exercise Tamber Shield 2025. This is in preparation for embarking on board her sister ship, HNoMS Roald Amundsen next month. The Norwegian frigate will form part of the UK Carrier Strike Group escorting HMS Prince of Wales on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
The Wildcat team on board the Amundsen, comprising pilots, engineers, and aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton, will provide the aviation capability, typically seen on RN combatants. Two Wildcat flights from 815 NAS will rotate through the Amundsen’s deployment with the carrier group, ensuring continuous support. The second rotation arrives in late summer. Ahead of full integration, the Flight is undergoing rigorous training in Norway, initially ashore and now at sea, participating in the exercise. Training commenced at the RNN’s safety centre, where UK personnel familiarised themselves with Norwegian emergency procedures and equipment.
Preparedness extends beyond aviation: all embarked personnel must contribute to fire and flood response, as they would on a Royal Navy vessel. Damage control exercises were conducted in the RNNs shore-based trainers, similar to the equivalent RN facilities in Portsmouth and Plymouth. Norwegian food and hospitality tends to be outstanding thanks to their policy of National Service which brings Michelin-starred chefs into the navy.
Tamber Shield 2025 is the third exercise in this series that began in 2023. Bringing together several hundred British and Norwegian personnel, with P2000 fast patrol boats, Norwegian missile craft, support ship HNoMS Maud, and multiple Wildcat helicopters working to develop combined tactics. Drills include anti-missile warfare, countering fast attack craft, and torpedo defence, all within the challenging confines of the fjords. The lessons learned will directly support the defence of HMS Prince of Wales and her task group on their Pacific deployment.
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The comment about ‘Michelin starred chefs’, while highlighting Norways very selective national service ( only 17% of those 18-19 yr olds are chosen to serve, and 36% are women).
Theres no way just out of high school are they Michelin starred chefs- even the core training is multi year let along the many years extra experience to get the Michelin hat
I have served on several Norwegian navy ships and submarines where also top chefs have served their conscription duty. Conscripts in Norway may be in their mid twenties, not necessarily directly out of high school. Of course, given the few Michelin starred restaurants in Norway, hardly any have Michelin star experience, but I can promise you, many of them are highly skilled.
If you had told me 20 odd years ago that the RN would be using Archers to plump out the numbers I would have thought you were losing your marbles.
Why are they borrowing our helicopters?
As in why are they not taking their own?
Or is it more a case that we are borrowing a frigate / flight deck?
Our frigate will be in the shed with a bad case of the vapours after getting some new strike missiles that are tip of the spear spec rather than being the 70’s disco type they are used to?
Norwegian navy is “in between” maritime helicopters having cancelled its NH 90 contract and waiting delivery of the MH60 replacements. We have more helicopters than frigates to put them on, they have an empty hangar, nice bit of mutual cooperation.
Maybe as a part of a very well planned charm offensive to ensure they buy some nice T26 and Merlin to complete their Big Boys ASW set – every grown up country should have one. Gives access to the den and the hideout. Also comes with free use of nuclear umbrella to keep the nasty older bullies like Vlad away – OK it is quite boring under the UK umbrella as you have to listen to Mr Kier droning on about how hard it is going to be – it is better than being under Mr Macaroons umbrella as he gets quite huffy and takes it away if you offend La Dignitee although he seems quite charming to start with.
Norway already has 16 AW101 Merlin either delivered or under order. Im not sure which types are with the Coastguard or the navy or Airforce as the future MH60 seem to be Coastguard too ?
The AW101s they have are not the ASW variant they are coastguard/rescue orientated but in a country that takes defence seriously that can obviously take a military role to add mass.
Its very confusing as the RNoAF operates choppers for the Army ( Bell 412) Airforce ( AW101) and Navy
The NH90 just withdrawn , were 14 ordered with 8 for the Coastguard and 6 for the navy frigates.
The MH60R new orders (6) are for the Navy frigates.
Images of the NH90 show one in Coastguard colours- Kystvakt but carrying a torpedo.
The Kystvakt seems to have military role as well as ‘search and rescue’.
The ‘Rescue’ AW101 carry Norwegian airforce naming not Coastguard
I think the less said about the UK nuclear umbrella the better..
Skywgians are top blokes.
I wonder how the Norwegian Michelin-starred cuisine compares to that of the Russian Rustbucket canteen: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aqsjaSXWotbH7WBZ6
The reviews are pretty good so its a tough act to follow…
Russian navy ships always smell of cabbage. I don’t know why. They just do.
Is that the Martlett armed version ?
It has the wing for it.
Wings lol. Stubs more like !
I have read it to have aero propose too.
Useful for two reasons
(a) Maud will be sailing with CSG2025, so increasing familiarity of operations with RN helicopters beforehand is obviously useful
(b) The Norwegian ASW purchase is to be part of a much larger strategic partnership. Exercises with the RN helps enforce the impression that the U.K. is the obvious choice.
A little bit of me thinks that T45’s are wasted being Merlin Capable when in fact they never carry them. Could they not just have the space fore a single Wildcat and use the extra space for VLS ?
They have the space for two Wildcats. Might come in handy.
Better to be compatible with all the navy Helos.
Also they have unused vls space at the front
They do just depends on the role and they have had a double wildcat flight on board in the past
I was told on here by a proper Expert that T45’s have never embarked a single Merlin. In fact I was told off for even suggesting they had !
Can you post some links so that I can see for certain please ?