One Year, 10 Countries, 25000 miles. 845 Naval Air Squadron Returns Home.
It’s almost twelve months to the day when three Commando Merlins, their crews, engineers and wider support personnel embarked on RFA Argus for Littoral Support Group (South).
Sailing through the Mediterranean into the Indian Ocean. In India the Task Group worked collaboratively alongside the Indian Navy, where the Commando Merlin MK4’s undertook a series of underslung load moves between the Indian Navy Ship Sahyadri and RFA Argus.
Following a port stop in Singapore and Brunei 845 Naval Air Squadron entered the Western Pacific. As part of a wider multi-national exercise off Australia’s Northern Territory the Squadron’s Commando Merlins took part in ‘cross decking’ with the Italian Navy aircraft carrier CAVOUR.
As part of the Australian Defence Force’s exercise, and working with UK Commando Force elements the Merlins also assisted in undertaking wide-ranging and demanding exercise tasks, including troop insertions, the rescue of a downed pilot, commando raids, the insertion of a reconnaissance team and more.
From Australia the homeward journey took the ship via Diego Garcia and the Cape of Good Hope.
