• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

HMS SCOTT RETURNS TO DEVONPORT

Royal Navy News

Release Date: 5/13/2003

Ocean survey ship HMS Scott returns to Devonport today (Tuesday 13 May) after survey operations in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

The ship returns for a short maintenance period before sailing to continue her work in the North Atlantic next month. The maintenance period was originally scheduled to take place in the Gulf in April, but was delayed and relocated to Devonport due to the conflict in Iraq. This allowed the ship to complete her tasking in the area without any loss to her programme.

Four Sea Cadets from the Training Ship Scott in Maidstone, Kent, will be returning to the UK on board the ship, having completed some valuable training during the passage back from Gibraltar.

Since leaving Devonport last October, HMS Scott has surveyed over 26,000 nautical miles - the equivalent of well over one complete trip around the world. Using a state of the art sonar system, HMS Scott is capable of gathering data in a swath of up to 21 nautical miles wide and down to the deepest parts of the ocean. She also carries a whole range of oceanographic sensors that are towed astern of the vessel when surveying. The data gathered is used to update nautical charts and provide valuable oceanographic information to mariners around the world.

HMS Scott's Commanding Officer, Commander Derek Turner, said: "I have been thoroughly impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the crew. I joined as the ship was just emerging from refit last year. In the intervening months the ship has deployed, conducted her primary role as a highly capable surveying vessel, hosted a number of VIPs and collected a vast amount of high quality data without any interruptions to the programme. The crew should all be very proud of their achievements in the last seven months; they brought a ship back into the fleet and even though very leaned manned proved her worldwide capability."

During her time away the ship's company has also been busy raising over £1,000 for their adopted charity; the Child Development Centre at Scott Hospital in Plymouth. Funds have been raised through sporting challenges and various charity auctions with prizes such as "a free dinner for two in the wardroom".

HMS Scott is the Royal Navy's largest survey vessel and was built at Appledore, North Devon in 1997. She has a ship's company of 63 people, and uses a three watch crew rotation system which allows HMS Scott to remain available for operations on over 300 days each year. A crew of 42 people are onboard at any one time, while the remainder are either taking leave or undergoing training back in the UK