Navy

Stunning Aerial Photos Released Of BALTOPS 15

The Royal Navy has released an eye-catching set of photographs of the 49 warships involved in BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) 15.

The largest NATO maritime exercise of the year, it's currently underway in the Baltic Sea, having opened with one of the trickiest manoeuvres of the series.

It involved bringing together ships from 17 nations, less than 200 yards (182 metres) apart, and then moving them through a series of complex formations that tested their communications and navigational expertise.

But after weeks of planning it was executed with impressive skill by the Bridge team of the Royal Navy Fleet Flagship HMS Ocean, one of three Royal Navy ships to be involved.

Over the course of several hours, the team brought together amphibious landing platforms, destroyers, frigates and minehunters for the complicated series of movements, which have not been seen before with so many nations.

HMS Ocean’s Specialist Navigating Officer Lieutenant Commander George Storton said:

“We had 49 ships taking part of all sizes and speeds and that meant a lot of evenings on the internet researching the vessels, looking at where they could sit in the running order and then sketching out different formations over and over again.”

“This was a massive communications piece as we had ships from several nations coming together on day one of the exercise. Many of us had never worked, or even spoken, before so we had to prepare for every eventuality."

"Fortunately the whole serial ran smoothly and I was filled with an enormous sense of satisfaction when it was over.”

The Royal Navy has committed three vessels to the annual exercise, its largest ever contribution, with HMS Iron Duke and HMS Quorn accompanying HMS Ocean.

More than 5,000 international personnel are participating alongside the 49 ships and 47 aircraft.

All photos Crown Copyright/ 2015