Foreign Navies en-route for International Fleet Review

Ships from Japan and South Korea attending the International Fleet Review in Portsmouth on 28th June in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen have set sail for British waters.

The International Fleet Review will be the largest ever held in terms of numbers of countries attending and will be an event that is unlikely to be repeated again for many years. The last one celebrated the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, which saw 19 nations take part. The Review is part of the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar 200 programme of events commemorating the bicentenary of the battle of Trafalgar. South Korea and Japan are just two of the 35 countries from around the world that are attending.

Captain Steve Bramley of Trafalgar 200 said: “On this historic occasion the Royal Navy looks forward to welcoming our many international visitors to strengthen our strong maritime bands of friendship and wonderful maritime heritage�?

The 56 Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and submarines will be led by the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Illustrious. On show will be Navy’s newest ship the Landing Platform Dock HMS Bulwark and a host of frigates, destroyers, mine counter measure vessels, patrol vessels and support ships.

One of the three Japanese ships under sail is the JDS Yuugiri, a multi purpose destroyer of the Asagiri class, which was commissioned on 28 February 1989. She is the third ship named Yuugiri, after the first ship of the Imperial Navy, which was built in England in 1899 before sailing to Japan. She has the capability for anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The ships Chungmugong Yi Sun-Shin and Chun Jee are representing the Korean Navy. The Chungmugong is a Korean KDX-2 class frigate. She displaces 4,800 tons and has a maximum speed of 29 knots. She carries a Westland Lynx and her armament includes Harpoon missiles.

With almost 160 vessels participating, the review will include modern naval fighting warships as well as merchant shipping and some of the world’s finest tall ships. A sail past including up to 300 private small boats and a flypast of maritime assigned aircraft will follow the review. The day will be completed by the Son et Lumiere illustration of an early 19th century sea battle and a spectacular fireworks display and lighting up of The Fleet.

The event programme on 28 June 2005 will run as follows:

• 1300 �?1500 - Fleet Review by HM The Queen.
  
• 1520 - Fly past
  
• 1525 �?630 - Sail past
  
• 1730 �?1900 - Air Display
  
• 1900 �?210 - Son et Lumiere
  
• 2210 - Firework spectacular and lighting up of the Fleet