Commando fliers complete Operation Clockwork with allies in northern Norway

Commando Helicopter Force Merlins and Wildcats have completed their winter training as they brought Operation Clockwork to a close.

Op Clockwork is used to train new air and ground crew in the skills needed to survive in the High North after spending time in other locations. 

Personnel from 845 Naval Air Squadron and 847 Naval Air Squadron were involved in the training to operate the state-of-the-art helicopters in the desolate conditions and were based out of the Norwegian air base at Bardufoss.

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The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) gives crucial battlefield support for the green berets across the globe wherever in the world they operate, including the wilds of the Arctic, blizzards, with temperatures down to -30°C, at times sleeping in tents and living off the land.

The CHF worked alongside the Dutch armed forces to replicate aviation assaults in the freezing and inhospitable conditions – delivering commandos to a location so they could carry out a ground attack or raid – with air support from machine guns or phoned in from British and American Joint Tactical Air Controllers (JTAC).

The aviators also practised casualty evacuation, flying in supplies, and rescuing two downed F-15 pilots from "behind enemy lines" in a daring exercise.

Sergeant Charlie Nicholson, an RAF exchange aircrewman with 847 Squadron, said the training was a "trial by fire".

"Having only flown in temperate UK conditions, it was a slight trial by fire, experiencing night-time snow landings on only my third sortie with 847!" he said.

"It has improved my capacity greatly and Norway is an incredible country to operate in."

845 Naval Air Squadron flew in Merlin Mk 4s, while the Wildcats of 847 Naval Air Squadron gave overwatch to make sure the Merlins could get to where they needed to be safely.  

Three Mobile Air Operations Teams deployed to Norway with the task of establishing makeshift landing sites in isolated locations, providing fuel and ammunition in the field, as well as basic support.  

Operation Clockwork has been training personnel from Joint Helicopter Command in the Arctic for decades as Nato and the British military work to protect the Nordic region.