Royal Navy personnel test emergency skills at HMS Sultan

The UK Royal Navy personnel have validated their emergency skills at HMS Sultan, which is the primary engineering training establishment for the Navy, as part of the establishment’s trainees’ Operational Sea Training weekend.

As part of the HMS Sultan Operation Sea Training (SOST), the locale was transformed into a Type 46 Hurricane class frigate with participation from over 300 trainees from Royal Navy’s trainee technicians and officers from within the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS) joined with their Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE).

Mainly aimed at preparing personnel for anything they may face during disaster relief and humanitarian aid missions, the participants were tasked with solving several challenging scenarios aimed at enhancing their communication and problem solving skills.

UK Royal Navy air engineer officer lieutenant Mike Harris said: "I have been delighted to organise this term’s SOST on behalf of the RNAESS providing a challenging but rewarding weekend for all Phase II students.

"My team have worked extremely hard putting together a series of testing scenarios to give the trainees a fundamental understanding of humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

"Throughout the weekend the training serials are designed to draw heavily on all of the Naval Core Values and require individuals to demonstrate effective leadership and organise teams to deliver cohesive teamwork to achieve desired results."

During the exercise, participants were tasked to support a casualty and refugee handling centre, Island hospital, in restoring fresh water and power supplies with specialist teams from HQ1 to dealing with remaining ‘trouble spots’.

Further, the exercise involved a simulation of the recent Operation Pitchpole with trainees from the Establishment working together with government agencies to offer flood relief.

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Image: Royal Navy personnel during assessment of emergency skills at HMS Sultan. Photo: courtesy of Royal Navy.