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UK maritime forces complete French naval deployment
DB News: 03/08/2017 - 16:45
Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel have completed their five month deployment aboard the French warship FS Mistral.
Two Royal Navy helicopters were also embarked as UK and French maritime personnel trained together across the Asia Pacific region.
The annual deployment included port calls at Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Japan, Guam, Australia and Egypt, as well as various multinational amphibious exercises.
UK personnel worked closely with international partners to strengthen defence cooperation in the region throughout the deployment. British troops participated in the first ever four-part maritime exercise involving France, Japan, the UK and the US, where as part of a week-long practice assault, the two helicopters moved 300 troops from the four nations to and from the island of Tinian.
UK troops also met with the Vietnam People’s Navy to compare national maritime operating procedures and exchange experiences, and during a port call to Egypt British forces took part in a cross-decking exercise alongside French and Egyptian Armed Forces.
Mark Lancaster, minister for the Armed Forces, said: “From fighting Daesh in the Middle East to jointly operating in Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence, our enduring defence partnership with France is stronger than ever as we work together to tackle global threats.
“This deployment has demonstrated the ability of our world class Royal Navy and Royal Marines to operate alongside our French allies and international partners as Britain delivers on its commitment to global maritime security.”