The Joint Maritime Course (JMC) series of exercises started after the Second World War in order to improve co-operation between the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in anti-submarine warfare. More recently, JMC exercises took place three times a year, in spring, summer and winter. In 2006 the exercise was re-branded as Neptune Warrior and in 2007 was reduced to two events per year. In 2008 the Joint Warrior name was introduced to reflect the increasing involvement of all three military branches. Each exercise is identified by the last two digits of the year it takes place and a number 1 or 2 depending on whether it is the first or second exercise of the year. For example, JMC 98/1 was the first Joint Maritime Course of 1998 and JW 15/2 was the second Joint Warrior exercise of 2015.
The images below were taken during JMC 89/2 off the north coast of Scotland.
Images were taken from the upper decks of RFA Fort Grange during the JMC.
HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal was a light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible class. She was built by Swan Hunter on the River Tyne and launched by them in 1981.
Slightly larger than her sister ships, and with a steeper ski-jump ramp, Ark Royal carried the STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) Harrier Jump Jet aircraft, as well as various helicopters. With a crew complement of over 1,000 sailors and aviators, she saw active service in the 1990s Bosnian War and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
Originally due to be retired in 2016, Ark Royal was instead decommissioned on 11 March 2011, as part of the Navy restructuring portion of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. After decommissioning Ark Royal was sold for scrap to the Turkish company Leyal Ship Recycling and left Portsmouth in May 2013.
HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal
Sea King Helicopter Lifting Off
Sea King Helicopter over Ark Royal's bows
Royal Navy Helicopters
Royal Navy Sea King Helicopter with a Searchwater Radar attached.
Royal Navy Lynx Helicopter
Royal Navy Sea King with Searchwater Radar mounted
Royal Navy Sea King Helicopter
Royal Navy Sea King Helicopter exercising landing manouvres along side RFA Fort Grange
Warships at sea during JMC 89/2.
A Type 42 Destoyer exercising close to Ark Royal
German FGS Rommel - Lutjens Class Destroer
Norwegian HNoMS Trondheim (F302)
HMS Bristol (D23)
French Navy warship
Frigates escorting a tanker
Type 21 Frigte and tanker
Image below shows a Russian 'trawler' conducting intelligence gathering activities from the edge of the exercise area.
HMS Ark Royal exercising replenishment at sea (RAS) with RFA Fort Grange
RAS one tonne test weight being transferred
Stern quater of the with Sea Harriers
Forward section of Ark Royal
HMS Andromeda (F57)
HMS Andromeda
HMS Andromeda
Close up forward section showing Exocet and Sea Wolf missles systems
Andromeda undertaking a RAS
HMS Andromeda was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at HM Dockyard Portsmouth. Launched on 24 May 1967 and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 2 December 1968. Saw active service during the Falklands War, sold to India in 1995, for use as a training ship, being renamed INS Krishna. The ship was finally decommissioned in 2012.
HMS Achilles (F12)
HMS Achilles approaching RFA Fort Grange to RAS
HMS Achilles was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow at Glasgow. She was launched on 21 November 1968 and commissioned on 9 July 1970. Sold to Chile in 1991 and washed away from her berth at Talcahuano by a tsunami in February 2010. Scuttled the following month by the Chilean Navy as a danger to navigation.
At the time these photos were taken (1989), Achilles was attached to the Dartmouth Training Squadron. Hence, the number of junior officers under training observing the various evolutions undertaken during a RAS.
HMS Achilles (F12)
HMS Ark Royal at sunset
HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal
