MAY 1985
10p
RN would kee contro of strategic assets
Frigates to
VMIIIS Plllllill ROYAL NAVY sailors, returning from sea to the doekyards at Devonport and Rosyth for refit work on their ships and submarines. may at some time in the next few years find the work about to be carried out under commercial management. An
the of the follow-
.innotiriceriient in
('ornnions in April (iosernment'.s siesss ing the l£|lL'\l in ;i succession of sttidies into the '_s';irds, shouts "going comniercigil" to he the fusoured option for it new structtire .it Dcvonport and Rtis_\llt. No fintil decision htis been taken. The Ro).i| control of
N.is_\ would keep str.itegic.ills»
ii.ition.il .issets. Defence Secrr.-t.ir\ Mr .\1ich.iel lleseltine ll.is \.iisl After wh.it is hoped will he .i wide iotistilt.ition [Vi'UsL’\\. .iit .innoiincenieni on “.i clear vs.is" forward is pl.Illf‘.L‘sl before the
iinport.itit
l’.itli.imenl.'irs suriinier Iloweser. tr.ide
tion
has
lll‘\ClllnL‘ told the (‘oniinons th.it the (iosernment l‘e~ liesed it wzis C\\Cnfl.'Il to get full Mr
s.ilue for mones from the Defence budget if this \u\.l\ to ."e .ich:escd in the \,|l\IK).If\‘.\, three rti.i:ri toriifitions tieeded to he rttel 0 first. ioc.ii il.lfl.|_\‘L'Y\ must h.ise freedom .it:.£ .iuthi-tits to rn.in.ige in .i itiore cortipetitise ensirorinient
0 Second. the docl._s.irds, .is suppliers of sersices to the Heel. must he sep.ir.ited cle;irl_\ from their customer 0 Third. their fin.inci.il .ind dccotlnltng .it.'.it‘._i:et‘.ter‘.ts must reflect nortn.il comnterci.il pf.l(' list.‘
so
th.it the trtie price of the
work could be properly judged .\l.iin options for ch.inge ranged from cre.ition of .I lr.idir‘._t' fund to liill*\c.IlL' i‘tt\.itis.ilit\t‘. \\h.ite\er the new !r.i:t1c~sst>:L. tor the lotigcr-tertn there u.is .iri inesc.ip.ii~le need for .isl)li\l' ments to the workforce in the short term .\1.itt.i_ge::ier‘.t would he ilisciissittij the ss.is fotss.ird with the iirtiorts insolsed lhe p.ic’s.ii:e of efficiencs rtie.isures thes would lie looking for .'iiii:ht irisolse ioh reductions .it Desonport of .if\out l‘ per cent .ii‘.d .it Rossth of .ihuul fi\L' per cent
.-‘s
new
gun
sight
.\'l:\\'
design
Se.i
gunfire control
Archer ssstern,
the first ltl.I]ilf Ros.il N.i\s fit of J therrn.il imaging sight. is to be supplied for ispe 33 .ird IF frig.ites its British
insolsing
.-‘serosp.ici: Annoiincing
contract. the
the L2” million
org.inis.ition's
l)_sn;imics Groups said the new design was the first wholls .iutonomous.
digital. gunfire
irol sssteni to be fitted .\.ist.'s Hiiljilf w.irships
in
con-
the
(‘.r\.\ll>Il'(;\ it comprises .i remotels controlled rn.ist-mounted electro~ .t;‘ti'c.i| sight 41"‘, .i l‘Clll\&'\:CLk\ control console of .ids.inted design Besides .i ther.'ti.il im.igirig c.inier.i. the sight h.is .i \]‘Cs'l.tl compact telesision c.irtte.'.i .ind J l.iser r.itige-finder \ensors .ire shrouded in .i spherii.il Lil\Cf 'l he ssstem controls .i Vickets «1.‘«xr:ch gun rrioiiriting ilflsl will o;\er.ite in ship-to»ship. shore .‘\o.".il‘.irdrtterit .i:id .iriti-.iirtr.ift niosfes Most recent of lirilish .»\ero \;‘.lk'C s gunfire control sssterns for the .\.iss ll.is I"-:cn .in earlier \e.i .-\rc.‘ier ifesign fitted to the l';gi_.»\'.»;]_.ss sessuls fut “sills:
Kitng
Sailors line up for VE Day duty
Chilly escort DWARFED by towering, snowy mountains. HIS Nawcaatla operates in
the chilly northarn waters of a Nonvogian tjord during NATO'a Enrclu Cold Winter ‘85. The Taalt Group iriciudod tho carrior HMS
Invincible, with
the
Type
42 Newcastle among tha escort. For other axorclsa pic-
tures. an faatura. Pieiuvo Stuart
0 Turn to back page,
get
contra-paga
LA(Fhot)
Anvoovs
.-‘s.\'
()i-‘l-‘l(‘l-IR and III r.itings will represent the Ro_s;i| Nth)’ in it tri-Service
\'l:-[).'i'\ \l.'i’V'iCC \\'estrninster Abbe} on
gti.ird in
.it
the
rn.irk the end of .\i.i_s the Second World Wtir and cclelttiilc‘ 4|’ }L'.ii\ ill t‘c.'icL' .\
in
:o
iturope
.\'.is.il persorincl for the gu.ird will he dr.iwn front C\l.il‘ll\llmcnts in
Portsniotith. l’l_\mouth
rind Scotland and from the Heel Air Arm Seser.il RN officers will he
.i.'n.~:tg the ushers and J selection of r.in‘its .irid r.ites will be
included in the III“ chosen to represent the in the .-‘sithejs
RC[‘fC\Cfll.ill\L's
of
people n.ition
ni.ins
.irid org.inis.itions whose mettihers viere insolsed in the l'urope.in c.inip.iign will .ittend the sersice in the presence of n.itions
the Queen Among them will he ;i contingent from the Ro_s;i| Nasal .»\ssoci.itit:n, led by its president. \'ice-Adminil Sir ‘FJHIC
PUPC
recess
union
;ilre;ids
opposi-
been i:\ptessed. indiistri.il .iction
and some taken
Document li\p|.iining
the scheme, .in open (iosernrtient document s.i)\. “(‘omrtierti.il coi‘.ip.iriics with the ;ippropti.ite Yll.If‘l.|}‘C' merit etpeitisc .irtd st.inding would be insited to tender for .i contract. for .i fixed period of years, to undertake .it negotialed prices .i \|ll‘\l.lf1ll.ll prop~ union of the N.iss's refit .inil repair requirements \'ep.ir.ite contracts would in such .i c.ise be let for e.ich docl._s.irtl "The contractors would use the docLs.ird .issets (Lind. huili‘.~ ihgs and facilities. including plant and rii.ichiner_sl on terms to he agreed. hut ownership would tetti.iiii with the Gtt\'CfnlllCnl .\l.iior new deselopmenls .ind niodernis.ition would also reni.iin .i (‘ioserrt-
rcsponsitvilits ('ump.inies would be set tip to emplo) the workforce required by cnritnictors. saith ownership merit
"
of the ct-nip.iiiies passing to the first contractors and to zins
suivsequent
contr.ictors
WEARING her paying-ott pennant. HMS Pollington ot the Fl-hery Protection Squadron passes under the Forth bridges as she returns to Rosyth tor the last time after more than a quarter oi a century of service. After decommissioning the ship. which is going for disposal. her ship's company will be taking over HMS Aliriston to continue duties with the "Fish
Squadron."
When the Poiiington, commanded by Lieut.-Cdr. Neil Pattenden. came alongside for the last time. she was greeted by ViceAdmiral Sir Nicholas Hunt. Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland.