Ocean's electronic warfare experts recognised

Unstinting efforts on front-line operations in the Middle East and a string of exercises from the expanse of the Atlantic to the narrow waters of the Baltic and Adriatic earned Britain's biggest warship an effectiveness award.

The nine-strong electronic warfare team aboard HMS Ocean headed 180 miles from their native Devonport to Portsmouth to receive the Fleet EW Effectiveness Trophy, presented to CPO(EW) Toby Hunt by Rear Admiral Paul Bennett, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Capability).

EW is a trade which doesn't often pop its head above the media parapet because of the nature of the job: detecting, identifying and, if necessary, countering electronic emissions from ships, submarines and aircraft.

But just as a well-trained sonar operator can identify a class of ship or submarine from its noise signature, so an experienced 'golly' can do likewise based on electronic output.

Ocean's gollies found themselves thrust into anti-submarine warfare (Exercise Deep Blue 2) in the Atlantic, amphibious exercises Griffin Strike (around the UK) and Albanian Lion (in the Adriatic), as well as the annual amphibious task group workout, JEF(M), to the Mediterranean and Gulf.

Throughout, Ocean's EW team provided both the ship and the wider RN with a first-rate service, acknowledged by Admiral Bennett, in a very strong year across the board by the golly department who headed to Portsmouth to receive the trophy in the presence of the Mighty O's CO Capt Robert Pedre and the Association of Old Crows, who were equally impressed by the assault ship's contribution; its representative John Clifford presented a cheque and trophy to reinforce the ringing endorsement.