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The Flag Officer Sea Training“A World Class Navy trained to fight and Win”“Haven’t you heard it’s all been changed,” is a well known naval expression whichcan justifiably be applied to the current activities of The Flag Officer SeaTraining, known throughout the Navy as FOST. FOST exists to provide OperationalSea Training (OST) to all ships of the Royal Navy from patrol craft to aircraftcarriers as well as training the submarine service (including the SubmarineCommand Course – known as The Perisher) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Thetraining conducted at FOST is “Tier 1” training, with the object of achieving astate of efficiency which enables ships’ crews to operate safely and fighteffectively as a cohesive unit. Tier 2 training, conducted during Fleet Exercise“Neptune Warrior” off the West coast of Scotland is designed to enable the unitsto operate effectively as a Task Group and is also supported by FOST staff. FOSTtraining begins the moment a ship comes out of build or long refit and FOST staffare responsible for the training of that unit from “cradle-to-grave”. Onceassessed as safe to go to sea, the ship will be programmed to conduct BasicOperational Sea Training, (the Tier 1 programme), which is split into threephases. If required, this will be followed by Tier 2 operational sea training and,once core training is completed, the operational units will be further supportedwith continuation training world-wide, using mobile teams. Training is notconfined solely to the Royal Navy 14 NATO partners and 12 non NATO organisationsalso train with FOST and there are contacts with at least 27 other foreign naviesshowing an interest. Training foreign navies can generate as much as £6m annually.Permanent Dutch and German staffs have been part of the FOST training team sincePortland days.Following World War 2, operational sea training was carried out by local flagofficers using whatever staff and facilities were available on station. However,changes in ships’ equipment and rapidly changing doctrines meant that these ad-hocarrangements were unable to cope and standards varied considerably. Thus in 1958the OST of almost all cruisers, destroyers and frigates was conducted by FOST, anew organisation, established at Portland. Since then 28 Rear Admirals have heldthe post of FOST with the 29th taking up his appointment in May 2007. Initiallythe training was called Work Up and lasted 7 ½ weeks. Later the term OperationalSea Training (OST) was adopted. FOST operated from Portland until September 1995when the organisation moved its headquarters to Grenville Block in HMS DRAKE atDevonport from where they operate for 48 weeks of the year. In addition to theDevonport staff, FOST Faslane in Scotland trains Minewarfare, Patrol and FisheryProtection vessels as well as submarines including the Trident force. AtNorthwood, JMOTS (Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff) conduct higher level(Tier 2) open ocean training during exercise “Neptune Warrior,” a two weekexercise held three times a year off Cape Wrath in Scotland. Since September 1995around 1,100 warships from more than 25 nations have been trained for the front-line.At Devonport FOST’s deputy is a naval Captain. He is supported by Commander SeaTraining (CST) the senior sea rider and four other Commanders who are the heads ofdepartments (Weapons Electrical, Marine Engineering and Logistics) and the StaffOperations Officer. Practical training on board is the responsibility of some 270experienced sea riders. These are mainly Lieutenant Commanders, Warrant Officersand senior Chief Petty Officers. They are selected for their knowledge in theirspecialisation and personal communications skills. They must also understand howforeign navies conduct their operations. Their task on board is to conduct a pre-
 
planned sequence of events (to achieve maximum benefit from the training) and tooversee, advise and evaluate the performance of the ship’s company. Theyemphasise that the T in FOST stands for training not testing. The test is thefinal war training period (at the end of Phase three). There has been a move awayfrom the idea that sea riders stood back, observed, assessed and then toldeveryone how they should have done it. Now ships' companies understand they canask FOST staff for assistance and, while assessment is part of the job, teachingand training is the main activity. Previously FOST staff wore green foul weatherclothing but now everybody wears blue Gore-Tex clothing the same as the ship’scompany but distinguished by the letters FOST on their left breast. However, theycontinue to wear berets to identify themselves to the ships company.At Devonport FOST’s training classroom consists of approximately 12,500 squaremiles of sea and airspace exercise areas stretching from Selsey Bill to west ofthe Scillies. Falcon 20 aircraft from Bournemouth carry radar and communications-jamming equipment and can also simulate threat radar transmissions. Hawk aircraftfrom Culdrose simulate aircraft and missile targets. The Royal Fleet Auxiliaryprovides a permanent station tanker which can also act as the high value targetduring convoy escort exercises. For diesel-electric submarines FOST has to relyon contributions from NATO and other European navies. These include Germany,Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey, Spain, and Sweden. Under thetraining agreements, FOST provides training for contributing countries units inreturn for the use of their diesel electric submarines. This is a cost-effectiveway for ships to encounter and engage the sort of threat they might be faced within any future crisis. The Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopter squadrons atCuldrose and Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft from Lossiemouth also use them fortraining. Dauphin helicopters from Roborough (an airfield north of Plymouth) ferrystaff to the ships and collect them after serials. Each morning at 0720 and ofteneven earlier catamarans leave the dockyard to ferry staff to Plymouth Sound wherethey rendezvous with the ships under training. Dockyard transport is available, oncall, to transport staff from the HQ to ships alongside.Basic Operational Sea Training (BOST) is an eight week training package that isnormally undertaken by new build ships that have just commissioned or ships thathave completed long refits and been newly commissioned. Before arrival atPlymouth the ship’s Commanding Officer (CO) together with other key officers suchas the Operations Officer (responsible for the ship’s programme) will visit FOSTfor pre-training briefing, familiarise themselves with the programme and meettheir nominated FOST liaison officer. Detailed guidance for the forthcomingtraining is outlined in the Operational Sea Training guide (OST Guide). Thiscontains 35 chapters and over 900 pages that advises ships on what to expectduring various phases of training, preparations to be made, equipment to bechecked, points to note, lessons leant from previous serials and provides aglossary and decode for the many (perhaps new and unfamiliar) acronyms andabbreviations used to describe the training serials. For example: RASON (remain atsea overnight) or RHOC (return to harbour on completion). The Navy could notsurvive without the use of acronyms.In the week before arrival, the ship will receive several copies of an extremelydetailed exercise programme known by its acronym as the WPP. This is the weeklypractise programme which advises ships of forthcoming exercise serials. It isissued every Thursday afternoon to give ships time to highlight their trainingserials and begin preparations.BOST begins with a two week familiarisation and shakedown period (Phase One).During the first week in harbour the ships company are given particular FOSTbriefings to explain what to expect and allow them to make final preparations. Itis also an opportunity to identify and rectify any major operational defects whichmight hinder the training. During the second week at sea between 50 and 70 FOSTsea riders (armed with detailed questionnaires) together with the ship’s companycarry out a Material and Safety Check (MASC). Safety is vital; thus every aspect
 
of the ship’s organisation is checked with a fine toothcomb with the emphasis onits material state and readiness to conduct the training safely. The FOST staffwant to check that departmental Standing Orders are in place and followed. Theyneed to ensure that vital safety checks are carried out. For example: Who carriesout the daily checks of air pressure in damage control breathing apparatus andwhere is this recorded? It is too late to start filling gas bottles when a firebreaks out and compartments begin to fill with smoke. Does the ship have aprocedure for controlling watertight openings below the waterline? To ensure thatthe ship’s company react with the required speed exercise emergencies (for examplefire or man overboard) are not prefixed with the announcement “For exercise” butbroadcast as if they were actual emergencies. However, should a real emergencyoccur then the broadcast is prefixed with the word “Safeguard”.Also during this sea week FOST staff conduct serials (pre-arranged with the CO)that aim to address any identified weak areas. The ship also partakes in a majortactical exercise known as “The Thursday War” The aim is to try and ensure allships start core training at roughly the same level. At the end of this two weekshakedown period both the ship and training staff have a clear and detailedpicture of the state of the ship’s organisation and know what points need urgentattention and action before moving to the next phase of training.One feature of FOST training that has remained constant throughout the Portlandand Devonport years (weather permitting) is the Thursday War. This is a majortactical exercise where ships sail in company normally at 0800 with crews closedup at action stations. One ship’s CO is the Officer in Tactical Command (OTC)responsible for controlling the ships as a fighting formation in a multi-threatenvironment. Ships’ companies must be ready to cope with anything that the FOSTstaff might throw at them including convoy escort, low-level air and missileattack, submarine attack, attack by fast patrol boats (if available), providingassistance to stricken merchantmen, replenishment at sea, dealing with battledamage, casualties, flooding or fires during damage control exercises etc, etc .It tests the ship’s overall fighting capability by practising tactics andprocedures in the most realistic manner possible.After shakedown the ship now spends the next four weeks following a pre-arrangedprogramme where the intensity of training increases gradually. Every possibleimaginable scenario in a ship’s life can be exercised: man overboard, steeringgear failure, machinery breakdowns, blind pilotage, navigational safety exercisesand helicopter operations. Days can be long with the ship sailing at 0730 andperhaps anchoring at midnight which means preparations continue for the nextmorning’s serials before sleep. Resilience, stamina and a sense of humour arevital. Ships may operate independently for certain serials such as replenishmentand towing and various gunnery exercises or in company with other ships whenconducting anti-submarine serials. After every serial a hot wash-up is given bythe staff to highlight the good points but more relevant are the areas which needimmediate attention and correction. The staff then write detailed reports. Theseare given both to the Commanding Officer and the Commander Sea Training as well asto the Ship’s personnel. When the staff return for the next serial, usually thenext day, they expect to see that the ship has acted to correct the reporteddeficiencies. Certain serials are unannounced such as visits by the ExecutiveWarrant Officer who checks cleanliness, ship safety and organisation and securitychecks. Every Friday afternoon Commander Sea Training gives the ship’s CommandingOfficer a frank, over-all statement of the progress of all departments. Asynopsis of the reports forms the basis for a meeting held each Friday morning byFOST and all senior staff officers. The ship’s progress in every department isdiscussed in detail, and staff effort is allocated where it is most needed.Another major exercise in the FOST training programme is the Disaster Relief
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