Turbulent times in the Middle East

WELL protected from the scorching Indian Ocean sun one of HMS Turbulent’s officers of the watch keeps a lookout on the fin as the Devonport-based boat knuckles down to the crux of a ten-month deployment.

Yes, you read that correctly. Ten months. Like her recently-returned sister Tireless, Turbs is on an extended tour of duty east of Suez.

The Trafalgar-class boat is Britain’s ‘duty TLAM shooter’ (the official classification is SSN(T)) in the region – providing the round-the-clock ability to Allied forces in the region to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, if needed, on instructions from headquarters back in Northwood.