The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Olympic role ‘not over the top’
Defence secretary defends sailing Navy’s largest ship up the Thames
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has denied that sailing the Royal Navy’s largest ship up the River Thames was “over the top” in preparation for the Olympic Games.
HMS Ocean berthed at Greenwich in east London yesterday before a major security exercise named Olympic Guardian.
The ship will act as a launch pad for eight Lynx helicopters and a base for Royal Marines snipers.
The marksmen have extensive experience of shooting the engines of fast vessels in the Royal Navy’s fight against the drug trade in the Caribbean.
Mr Hammond, who was taken on board by a landing craft, said: “I don’t think it’s over the top.
“Every Olympic Games in recent times has had a significant military component to its security plan.”
He said that Londoners and foreign visitors would be “reassured” by the military presence.
“There are no specific threats to the games at the moment, but if any threats do emerge I hope that the sight of these assets – this ship in particular – will reassure them that we will deal with any security threats in a determined and resilient way,” he said.
General Sir Nick Parker, in charge of the military’s Olympics role, said the security exercise would prepare for “extreme threats”.
He said: “We need to practise against those highend threats, but they are not considered likely.”
Ocean was manoeuvred through the Thames Barrier before beginning a 180degree turn at West India Docks. She arrived at Greenwich about midday.
The warship is 125ft wide and Captain Andrew Betton described the task of guiding her through a gap of 197ft as “challenging”.
Smaller craft and patrol boats accompanied Ocean as part of the maritime security plan.
Capt Betton said Ocean would provide vital assistance in stopping any potential threats on the river.
“The versatility and manoeuvrability of helicopters allows them to get to the scene of action very swiftly to identify and to divert any surface vessels that are heading up the Thames, to ascertain their intentions and if necessary take action,” he added.
Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh is teaming up with tenor Alfie Boe to sing the official anthem for Britain’s Olympic hopefuls. They have recorded a version of Top 10 Queen hit One Vision for Team GB and Paralympics GB which will be unveiled at a celebration in the Royal Albert Hall on Friday.