HMS Spey shows off her firepower – and practises putting out fire on joint exercise

HMS Spey has been showcasing her firepower and weapon-handling skills during Exercise La Pérouse, led by the French navy's carrier strike group east of Suez.

Equipped with a 30mm Oerlikon cannon and other armaments, Spey demonstrated her gunnery prowess alongside vessels from Canada, India and France on the deployment which focused on three critical maritime choke points – the Straits of Malacca, Sunda and Lombok.

During the exercise, Spey's gunnery capabilities were put to the ultimate test in two live-fire exercises.

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One of the drills saw the warship Charles de Gaulle launch fast jets to simulate aerial attacks, requiring Spey's gunners to defend against strafing runs.

During the scenario, HMS Spey simulated being hit, prompting her crew to extinguish a major fire while maintaining combat readiness.

"Whole ship reactions to fire are full-on under normal exercise conditions, but it was especially thrilling whilst under simulated aerial attack," said Able Seaman Ashley Sandbrook, who was part of the firefighting team.

During one of the live-fire exercises, she used her 30mm Oerlikon cannon to fire warning shots across the bow of the Canadian frigate HMCS Ottawa, simulating the interception of a non-compliant vessel.

The next scenario called for HMS Spey to neutralise two of four targets laid by French frigates.

However, the ship's precision firepower cut the drill short when her opening salvo obliterated the first target, leaving exercise directors worried there would not be enough remaining for other ships to practise on.

"What appears as a second of success is the result of hours of training and preparation," said Weapon Engineering Technician Lukas Bishop.

"Hitting the target first time is immensely gratifying, especially knowing the eyes of partner navies were on us."

Commander Paul Caddy, HMS Spey's Commanding Officer, said: "Although offshore patrol vessels like Spey are not intended to fight on the frontline, the enemy gets a say too.

"It's crucial we maintain our ability to operate in tactically demanding environments.

"Our success in these scenarios is a testament to the crew's professionalism," he added.