Military Manoeuvres
Defence
Written answers and statements, 4 February 2005
Earl of Michael Ancram (Shadow Secretary of State for International Affairs, Shadow Foreign Secretary & Deputy Leader, International Affairs; Devizes, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what manoeuvres or operations United Kingdom armed forces have conducted in (a) the Gulf of Guinea and (b) the Bight of Bonny since January 2003.
Mr Adam Ingram (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Ministry of Defence; East Kilbride, Labour)
No operations have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea (Ghana to Angola) and the Bight of Bonny since 2003. The Atlantic Patrol Vessel (South) regularly transited the region over the period making routine port visits on route:
HMS Lancaster/RFA Gold Rover transit July/August 2003
HMS Glasgow/RFA Gold Rover transit November/December 2003
HMS Cardiff/RFA Gold Rover transit April/May 2004
HMS Iron Duke transit September 2004
In addition to this routine maritime activity, the Royal Marines conducted a high profile and extremely successful bilateral Jungle Exercise Western Rhumba in Ghana in September/October 2004.