WHAT IS IT??

BOST provides a unique opportunity to train for operational scenarios in a realistic environment with access to live assets. It is rated as one of the best training organisations in the world, and training periods are highly sought after by foreign navies.

WHO PROVIDES IT AND WHAT IS THEIR ROLE??

Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) is the operational sea training organisation for the RN. Its role is to deliver Fleet units fit for task so that they may be deployed to meet the Fleet’s objectives. It is a large organisation of people specially selected as experts in their fields and with recent sea experience.

The main role of FOST is to assist ships in achieving their full potential. The Staff are up to date with the latest tactics, procedures and rules and use the period as an opportunity to pass on “best practice” (good ideas) from one ship to another.

THE STORY SO FAR

After a busy two weeks HMS RICHMOND is now a third of the way through her Basic Operational Training. Many late nights and early morning starts have left the Ship’s Company tired but in good spirits and confident in their ability to complete training to the best of their ability.

Approximately 65-70 FOST staff embarked to sail with the ship for the day to assess the Ship’s material state, administration, safety and cleanliness standards. By the completion of various serials, the Ship’s overall condition and state of training was established. The Ship evolutions included war fighting serials, including firing the Ship’s main gun (see photograph below) to ensuring that the Ship was able to recover personnel if through mishap they fell overboard. By the end of the day the Staff had completed a comprehensive audit which established a baseline for further training. The SSC report is turned around very quickly and was received by the Ship the same evening. Part of the BOST process over our training period will be to observe how quickly and thoroughly the Ship corrects any identified shortcomings

First Harbour Week –PM 8 Oct - 14 Oct 02.

From completion of the SSC to sailing the following Monday, the Ship was alongside in Plymouth. During this period the Ship’s Company attended briefings, organisational checks and training serials (including harbour fire exercises). At the same time defect rectification from the SSC was progressed. The harbour training programme was very tight and required considerable manpower deconfliction and prioritisation by management teams to ensure maximum training benefit.

First Sea Week 14-18 Oct 02.

This period concentrated on training and guidance during relatively straightforward serials and exercises. The sea weeks are structured so that serials between Mondays and Wednesdays do not necessarily create interaction across departments and warfare environments (stand fast fire & flood exercises). On Thursdays the Ship completed the Weekly War serial where all departments and warfare disciplines were exercised together to test the whole ship in a realistic war environment. RICHMOND will be in charge for at least one of the Wars during the sea phases later in her training. Fridays was used to conduct serials that would have conflicted with other serials earlier in the week (eg main machinery space fire exercises and gunnery exercises ).

What Next?

RICHMOND will sail on the 21 Oct for her second sea week where the tempo of training will increase and become more demanding on the crew!!!!!!