UK deploys heliship for Ebola fight
The UK Royal Navy has announced that Merlin helicopters from Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose are joining RFA Argus to help stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa.
The UK Royal Navy has announced that Merlin helicopters from Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose are joining RFA Argus to help stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. The armed vessel is a converted container ship that boasts a hospital and a flight deck. Three Merlin Mk 2s from 820 Naval Air Squadron are sailing onboard the Argus, which is destined for Sierra Leone to support the UK efforts on land to deal with the outbreak of the disease.
The helicopters and ship will be used first and foremost to help medical efforts on land, where Britain’s Armed Forces are playing a pivotal role in tackling the crisis, said the Navy. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said more troops would be dispatched to support engineers, logisticians and planners already on the ground to support the construction of the Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Unit, while additional personnel are being sent to support an Ebola training facility run by the World Health Organisation.
Personnel from RNAS Culdrose will be joined on RFA Argus by Royal Marines of 1 Assault Group to provide protection for the ship and the personnel aboard.
Captain Mark Garratt, commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose said: “Culdrose will embark three Merlin Mark 2 helicopters and 80 personnel from 820 Naval Air Squadron, as well as a 50-strong cadre of the Maritime Aviation Support Force, onboard RFA Argus as she deploys to the West coast of Africa. The inherent flexibility of the Merlin, the Navy’s latest anti-submarine helicopter, acting in a transport and utility role from afloat, will mean that medical operations ashore can be fully supported. Our people are fully committed to this vital role.”