A group of South Korean Officer Cadets were welcomed to the Royal Navy's largest training establishment when they visited HMS Collingwood recently.
The Cadets first received a brief from staff at the Royal Naval Leadership Academy, outlining how personnel are trained and mentored in leadership techniques, both through classroom teaching and via the Academy’s Low and High Ropes courses.
The group then split into two, with one group visiting HMS Collingwood’s state-of-the-art simulator in the Navigation Training Unit.
Using nine screens on a cylindrical wall, this offers an immersive 270° experience, providing training to personnel from a wide range of disciplines. It can simulate all weathers, sea-states and accurate geographical features from around the world.
The Cadets learned how it has recently been used extensively to train the crews of the new QEC carriers enabling them to hone their skills on a virtual Bridge before taking control of the actual ships.
The second group visited the Weapons Training Section which is part of the Maritime Warfare School.
Here, Stephen Wood demonstrated the automated loading system of the 4.5 inch, Mark 8 gun which is fitted to the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates and the Type 45 destroyers.
The Cadets observed how a shell is fed through the feed system arriving in the gun turret. They also visited the Phalanx Close Range System where Chief Petty Officer Dave Howie delivered a comprehensive system brief including the history and development of the system.
The Cadets were impressed by the simulated aircraft engagement which concluded with a drill firing demonstration. They appeared enthused and asked plenty of questions during this part of the visit.
Warrant Officer Engineering Technician (Weapon Engineer) Mark Stevenson accompanied the Cadets throughout their visit and said, “Having visited South Korea with the Royal Navy it was interesting to interact with the Korean Cadets and note the interest they took in a very comprehensive demonstration of equipment’s and capabilities.”
The Cadets were from training ships ROKS Chungmugong Yisunshin and ROKS Dae Cheong and the visit to Collingwood formed part of a four-day stopover in Portsmouth.
