HMS Bulwark Returns from Cougar 15

Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Bulwark, has returned to Plymouth from operations in the Mediterranean after leading a major Royal Navy deployment.

The Plymouth-based ship was leading this year’s exercise Cougar comprising exercises with the French Navy off Corsica and then Exercise Trident Juncture, the largest NATO exercise for a decade involving 30 nations, 60 ships and 36000 personnel.

HMS Bulwark completed the deployment by providing security support to the Maltese Armed Forces for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, including hosting her Majesty the Queen on board.

The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Nick Cooke-Priest, said: “Our return to Plymouth marks the finale of a truly outstanding year for HMS Bulwark. 

From the poignancy of Gallipoli 100, via the humanitarian assistance of Operation Weald in the Mediterranean to the operational focus of Cougar 2015, it has been a year that has seen HMS Bulwark at the heart of naval, and national activity.”

When away from exercises and operations, the ship paid visits to Gibraltar, Toulon, Palermo and Malta.

Cougar 2015 exercised the UK’s maritime high readiness joint expeditionary force, which had the goal of demonstrating that the Royal Navy is able to keep Britain safe.

Devonport-based HMS Bulwark was joined by HMS Ocean with Apache, Chinook and Wildcat helicopters embarked from the Joint Helicopter Command together with Royal Navy Merlin helicopters.

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