A Thursday War is the colloquial name given in the Royal Navy for the weekly war-fighting and damage control exercises that are held during Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), so named because they are usually held on a Thursday. FOST is responsible for ensuring that Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels are fit to join the operational fleet by testing vessels' readiness through a series of drills and exercises. These culminate in the so-called 'Thursday War', war-fighting scenarios designed to test a ship's companies' reaction to various situations and emergencies.[1][2]
Typically a 'Thursday War' involves a range of scenarios which include the vessel undergoing simulated attacks by aircraft, missiles and submarines; sustaining damage and casualties, and testing the crew's ability to fight fire, floods and deal with personnel injuries while underway. The exercise is designed to test the ship's operational readiness to fight in a real war situation and is the culmination of the FOST training period.[3][4]
See also[]
- Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) - US Navy predeployment exercise
References[]
- ↑ http://www.royal-navy.org/lib/index.php?title=Navy_marks_50th_year_of_world-renowned_training[dead link]
- ↑ Navy News - Reporting from the Fleet[dead link]
- ↑ http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/surface-fleet/type-22-frigates/hms-cumberland/news/defence-minister-goes-to-war-off-plymouth/index.htm[dead link]
- ↑ Burrell, Ian (29 January 1998). "Iraq Crisis: Thursday War in the Channel is dress rehearsal for real thing in the Gulf". The Independent. London: INM. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/iraq-crisis-thursday-war-in-the-channel-is-dress-rehearsal-for-real-thing-in-the-gulf-1141540.html. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
External links[]
- Photo of HMS Somerset taking part in a 'Thursday War'
- Video of a FRADU Hawk aircraft low flying over Royal Naval warships during a 'Thursday War'
The original article can be found at Thursday War and the edit history here.