Royal Navy Jack Speak

It’s been just over a week since we left Brazil and as we now approach the west coast of Africa the emphasis has switched to maritime security operations once again. As we prepare to join the international effort to combat drug trafficking and piracy in the region, the Ship’s boarding party have been training relentlessly, to ensure they are ready when the time comes.

They have been practising ‘fast roping’ in the hangar, which involves sliding down a rope onto the deck of a suspect vessel. Once they have the hang of that, they get airborne and practice doing it from a helicopter as it hovers 30 feet above the flight deck. They also have access to a state of the art weapon simulator, to run through specific training scenarios. It’s important that they know how to react when under pressure, so the simulator helps them develop their weapon handling and judgemental skills as well as their understanding of the Rules of Engagement. They never know what they might come across, so it’s important that they are ready for anything.