THE roar of typhoons swirling around HMS Somerset could mean only one thing: the frigate was being treated to an air display from Britain’s top jet.

Fighters were needed by the Devonport warship as she conducted the latest stage of her work-up following a lengthy refit in Rosyth.

And the RAF duly obliged by dispatching two F2 Typhoons from 29(R) Squadron at Coningsby to assist Somerset during trials of her Seawolf anti-air missile system.

For the trials a dedicated fighter controller was needed – something Somerset didn’t have; typically fighter controllers, or Freddies, can only be found in Type 42 destroyers (whose raison d’etre is air defence) and carriers.

So HMS Gloucester loaned her Freddy in the form of Lt Craig Macpherson for the trials off St Andrews.

For 20 minutes the two RAF jets came under the direction of the RN (they even changed their digital recognition code to acknowledge the fact, which was nice of them) while Seawolf’s radar tracked the pair of fighters.

And with the trial over, the fliers obliged Somerset’s ship’s company with a flypast and mini display before returning to Lincolnshire.

Somerset has been put through extensive tests and trials since emerging from a refit to improve her weapons systems, sonar and other machinery, and to fit new WECDIS electronic charts and adapt the flight deck for operations by Merlin helicopters.

Those trials have seen her circumnavigate the British Isles: there was a lightning visit to Devonport, a first visit home in more than a year; there were noise ranging trials in the sea lochs of Argyll a trip around the Isle of Bute and through Loch Fyne (the waterway, not the fish restaurant); there were dolphins riding the bow-wave off Inveraray while underwater microphones gathered reams of data on Somerset’s performance; and finally, there were sonar trials off Scotland’s northern tip.

“The difference made during five weeks away has been enormous,” said Cdr Rob Wilson, Somerset’s CO.

“The ship’s company is now better trained and the equipment has been tested and proved.”

You can follow the ongoing exploits of HMS Somerset courtesy of her captain’s blog here