HMS Bulwark puts Russian Marines to the test
The Royal Navy amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark has been testing the capabilities of a group of Russian Marines during a large-scale exercise in the Baltic Sea. Bulwark, is taking part in Exercise Baltops 08, a multi-national training exercise involving forces from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA.
The exercise scenario was built around the United Nations ordering the evacuation of citizens threatened by crisis to a place of safety; this involved Bulwark embarking a combined Russian-UK Marine Landing Force to conduct an evacuation operation.
The Anglo-Russian landing force, under the command of Colonel Yurig Boishenko (Commanding Officer 336 Russian Naval Infantry Brigade), departed Bulwark early on a blustery Baltic morning in the assault ship’s landing craft to take charge of the chaotic scenes ashore.
Within hours the 100 Russian Marines had secured the area and brigaded the citizens (played by 65 Danish civilians) into a safe area where they were processed and fed by Bulwark’s Logistics team and transported to the safety of the Fleet Amphibious Flagship by personnel from 4 Assault Squadron Royal Marines (ASRM).
Bulwark also cooperated closely with the Russian Frigate RFS Neustrashimy for five days, including manoeuvring, weapon drills, helicopter cross deck operations and personnel exchanges.
The BALTOPS exercise takes place annually in June in the southern Baltic, the emphasis this year being on the role played by expeditionary forces in maintaining regional stability.
HMS Bulwark is the Royal Navy’s newest Commando Assault and Command and Control ship. Launched in November 2001 she has a ship’s company of 390, a quarter of whom are made up from 4 Assault Squadron Royal Marines (4 ASRM). In addition the ship can carry up to 700 troops and her flight deck can accommodate two Chinook or two Merlin helicopters. A large floodable dock holds four large landing craft - with another four carried on davits on the ship’s side.
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