Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) Rear Admiral James Rapp hosted a royal visit – and what better ship for the Prince of Wales to visit than HMS Cardiff?

The Prince flew into Weston Mill Lake in Devonport Naval Base, where he was met by Admiral Rapp – Navigating Officer of HMS Bronington when Prince Charles was her Commanding Officer.

Also there to greet the Prince was Naval Base Commander Commodore Andrew Matthews.

The VIP guest endured a very choppy boat transfer to Type 42 destroyer HMS Cardiff, which was on operational sea training under the tutelage of the FOST organisation, and was positioned just inside the breakwater.

The heavens then opened and the ship continued on her training schedule, testing everyone to the limit in a big sea swell.

Prince Charles was briefed by Cardiff’s CO, Cdr Michael Beardall, then watched a firefighting exercise and a man overboard drill – quite a challenge in the rough conditions.

He also took the opportunity of presenting Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) medals to POs Robert Tucker and Phillip Felton, as well as meeting other members of the ship’s company.

Back on dry land, the Prince was shown another aspect of the FOST empire when he was given a tour of the Submarine Command Team Trainer, known as Talisman.

One piece of kit which caught his eye was the periscope simulator, which creates a realistic computer-generated picture in the eyepiece.

Prince Charles formally opened the facility by unveiling a plaque, and met students and instructors from the Trainer as well as FOST staff from other areas.