Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters navigate Norway's stunning fjords on Tamber Shield
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter pilots from 815 Naval Air Squadron have been honing their skills over the waters around Bergen, Norway, ahead of a deployment on the Norwegian warship HNoMS Roald Amundsen next month.
The Amundsen is set to support the Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, on an eight-month mission to the western Pacific Rim from this spring.
A Wildcat helicopter team of 10 air and ground crew from RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset will be on board.
Ahead of the deployment, the crew is spending several weeks in Norway, training onshore and at sea, as part of Exercise Tamber Shield 2025.
Earlier on the exercise, the Wildcat team visited the Norwegian navy's safety centre to train for emergencies at sea – such as a helicopter crash – familiarising themselves with Norwegian firefighting kit.
While the equipment differs, many of the Norwegian navy's training facilities are similar to the Royal Navy's.
Engineer Connor Miller said he quickly found a rhythm of working with Norwegian colleagues and enjoyed the experience.
"My favourite part of the course was getting hands-on with the rescue equipment and using it on the cars, which gave me an appreciation of how difficult it is to gain access to a vehicle but also kept me thoroughly entertained throughout," he explained.
Fellow Air Engineering Technician Matt 'Godders' Godfrey agreed.
"The Norwegian attitude to training and service makes them a formidable ally," he said.
"Their familiarity with our procedures, built over past Tamber Shield exercises, has meant a quick start to proceedings."
The exercise also involved British and Norwegian sailors, with Royal Navy P2000 fast patrol craft, Norwegian missile boats and the Norwegian sister ship to the Amundson, HNoMS Otto Sverdrup, among the ships taking part.
They practised drills such as fending off fast attack craft and torpedo runs within the confines of Norway's fjords – tactics which would help defend the HMS Prince of Wales while at sea, if needed.
This is the third annual Tamber Shield Exercise, giving Wildcat crews the unique opportunity to train in this spectacular landscape.
Wildcat helicopters are highly adaptable, offering formidable firepower and cutting-edge technology.
The Royal Navy says the deployment to the Indo-Pacific region is aimed at deepening defence partnerships and promoting regional and global security.
Other Nato warships will be joining the carrier strike group, as well as the UK contribution.
A second Wildcat team from 815 NAS is set to replace the original crew, supporting the Amundsen from late summer.
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