Royal Navy ship helping to evacuate Britons from Libya (Video)

bbc ^ | 8-3-2014

[Citizen Zed]

A Royal Navy survey ship, HMS Enterprise, is evacuating Britons from Libya, amid worsening violence in the country, the BBC understands.

The Foreign Office says it is not a "rescue mission" as normal transport links still exist but describes it as an "assisted departure" for those wanting to leave.

The BBC's Rana Jawad says this is a last-minute option for British nationals who risk being caught up in crossfire between rival militias.

[Citizen Zed]

[Gaffer]

“The Last Ship” in reverse?

[manc]

I would suggest you look closer to home too , and how bad our military has become.
At least they are getting theirs out unlike us who just let them die over there.

[Gaffer]

It wasn’t a comment on nation-related anything. It was a remark on the juxtaposition of a “Last Ship” scenario trying to get away from death, versus rushing headlong into it, potentially.

[MasterGunner01]

At least in the production, the “Last Ship”, the star of the show is a DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. These DDG’s are very well equipped to defend themselves with guns, CIWS, missiles (Standard, Harpoon, Tomahawk), and torpedoes.

HMS ENTERPRISE (H-88) is a hydrographic survey ship. It can accommodate four 20mm L90 Oerlikon GAM-B01 dual use guns (anti-air, anti-surface). Unless the Royal Navy quickly mounted the 20mm guns on this vessel (I'll bet that they've been removed in a previous refit so not to appear aggressive), then this ship is sailing into harm's way (Libya) without any means to defend itself or its refugee passengers. This sounds about right for the clueless Cameron government.