BEAUTIFUL NATURAL MAKEUP

RFA Argus

Class: Aviation training ship
Pennant number: A135

Builder: CNR Breda, Italy (Converted by Harland and Wolff: 1984-88)

Port of Registry: Belfast
Entered MOD Service: 1988
Displacement: 28,081 tonnes

Length: 175.1 metres
Beam: 30.4 metres
Draught: 8.1 metres
Speed: 18 knots maximum

Lloyds classification: + 100 A1

Complement: 80 + 55 RN

Main machinery: Two Lindholman Pielstick 18 PC2.5V diesels, two shafts; bowthruster

Weapons: Four BMARC 30mm guns, 7.62mm machine guns

Radar: Air search: Type 994; Air and surface search: kelvin-Hughes Type 1006; Navigation Racal Decca Type 994

Aircraft: Five spots for Sea Kings, Chinooks, Merlins or Lynx; can transport Sea Harrier FA2s

Versatility Is Key To Aviation Training Ship
Text from Ships Of The Royal Navy No. 532

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Argus was quick of the mark in terms of military service - she was already doing sterling work in the Falklands before she became a permanent part of the Ministry of Defence.

Built in Italy as the container ship Contender Bezant, she was taken up from trade by the RFA during the Falklands War and subsequently converted by Harland and Wolff in Belfast before being accepted into RFA service in 1988.

Her primary role is to provide specialist aviation training facilities to the Fleet Air Arm.

As such, she is often to be found sailing on ten-day deployments to Vigo or Lisbon with a Naval Air Squadron embarked, giving trainee aircrew intensive at-sea flying experience.

More than two-thirds of her length is taken up by a five-spot landing deck, which has a 5ft-thick concrete underside, giving Argus the ability to operate any of the Royal Navy's helicopters - the new Merlin has been operating from the ship in a trials programme in recent months.

Argus can also, when required, transport and launch RN FA2 Sea Harriers or RAF GR7 Harriers.

All flying operations are manages from Argus' Flyco - an air traffic control centre.

She has two aircraft lifts which serve four hangar spaces below the flight deck. The hangars are separated by watertight doors which can be closed in cases of collision or battle damage.

Her design may have resulted in a less-than-graceful appearance, but it is also the key to her valuable versatility.

As a logistic ship she can transport cargo and vehicles, housed on deck or in the hangars - a door built into the hull on the starboard side allows vehicles to be driven directly on board.

This makes loading and unloading Argus a relatively fast operation - exploited to the full when Argus was part of the UK's contribution to the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia.

The ship is also equipped with a hospital complex which includes two operating theatres and beds for 96 casualties, installed when the ship deployed to the Gulf in 1990.

The hospital complex is due to be upgraded during her next refit.

But because Argus does not comply with Geneva Convention/International Red Cross requirements - for example, she can be fitted with guns for self-defence, and have operational units embarked - she is referred to as a primary casualty reception ship.

EVAP Training.
Kirkland Fire Department.

PC, zooming through the cones on Air Unit 21. You start from a stand still, accelerate through cones, change lanes, go through a series of narrowing cones, and then turn left or right (depending on the instructor's last second call), and then stop as fast as you can (to get the ABS to kick in). We left a lot of rubber on the pavement.

It's an awesome rig to drive. You sit in *front* of the front wheels so you swing real far over. The rig is also really wide, so you have to practically sit right on top of the left cones.

I ran through this part of the course almost 10 times. Swiped a lot of cones too. :) (Made it through completely on the last try though!) I also did the course driving an aid car.

If you're astute you'll notice the church in the background. Yes, turning right meant turning towards the church. Not stopping would involve running into the church. I'd imagine not too many would be happy about that. We were joking about making it on America's Stupidest Videos or something like that.