Gibraltar

HMS Brocklesby on NATO exercise

HMS Brocklesby has been taking part in Exercise Noble Mariner as part of her six month deployment with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMC1).

The exercise around the Strait of Gibraltar involves 21 warships from 17 different NATO countries and is being co-ordinated by Maritime Component Command based at Northwood in the UK.

So far HMS Brocklesby has identified and recovered five dummy mines in her area of operations, which is the most recovered by any ship during this exercise.

The crew have also taking part in warfare exercises, with Spanish Navy personnel acting as attacking forces.

Lieutenant Commander James Byron, Commanding Officer of HMS Brocklesby, said: “ We have done a lot of this work in the last few months on Exercise Joint Warrior in October and during operational sea training in December and so to already have five drill mines on deck shows that this effort has paid off.

"Next week we move into the tactical phase and I am sure that we will be capable of locating and prosecuting any dummy mines in our area of operations, as well as defending against any simulated attacks.”

The Royal Navy Hunt Class mine countermeasures vessel left Portsmouth in January as part of a sixth month deployment to the Mediterranean as part of SNMCMG1.

Picture: MOD