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The warship ballet of the sea: Incredible precision led by the Royal Navy's HMS Ocean as Nato vessels perform complex training formations
BySIMON TOMLINSON FOR MAILONLINE
With pinpoint precision, a fleet of 49 warships glides gracefully across the ocean in a series of stunning aerial images.
The vessels are taking part in a major Nato operation in the Baltic Sea led by the Royal Navy's fleet flagship HMS Ocean.
It involves bringing together ships from 17 nations – some less than 200m apart – and then moving them through a series of complex formations that tested their communications and navigational expertise.
Over the course of several hours, and in near perfect conditions, the team brought together amphibious landing platforms, destroyers, frigates and minehunters for the formations – the like of which have not been seen before with so many nations.
Scroll down for video
Graceful: Warships from 17 nations carry out exercises with pin-point precision in a series of stunning pictures taken on board a Chinook
Precise: The Nato exercise brought together amphibious landing platforms, destroyers, frigates and minehunters for exercises in the Baltic Sea.
Co-ordinating the audacious operation was HMS Ocean's Specialist Navigating Officer Lieutenant Commander George Storton.
The 32-year-old, from Bosham, West Sussex, said he started researching and planning the patterns six weeks in advance.
'We had 49 ships taking part of all sizes and speeds and that meant a lot of evenings on the internet researching the vessels, looking at where they could sit in the running order and then sketching out different formations over and over again,' he said.
'This was a massive communications piece as we had ships from several nations coming together on day one of the exercise.
'Many of us had never worked, or even spoken, before so we had to prepare for every eventuality.
'Fortunately, the whole serial ran smoothly and I was filled with an enormous sense of satisfaction when it was over.'
Patriotic: The Royal Navy has committed three vessels to the exercise – the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ocean along with Portsmouth based frigate, HMS Iron Duke and minehunter, HMS Quorn
Fighting force: Some 5,000 international personnel are participating alongside the 49 ships and 47 aircraft for the exercises in the Baltic Sea
Forty nine vessels are taking part in BALTOPS 15, the largest Nato maritime exercise of the year.
The Royal Navy has committed three vessels to the exercise the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ocean along with Portsmouth based frigate, HMS Iron Duke and minehunter, HMS Quorn.
This year's contribution to BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) is the largest ever by the Royal Navy and demonstrates the UK's ongoing commitment to NATO and allied nations.
Embarked on HMS Ocean are a series of Royal Navy, Army and RAF helicopters, with these images captured from an RAF Chinook.
Flight Lieutenant John Parry, 31, of 18 (B) Squadron, based at RAF Odiham, was in control of the Chinook.
Leading the charge: The audacious operation was co-oridinated by the Royal Navy's flagship, HMS Ocean
Embarked on the Royal navy's HMS Ocean are a series of Royal Navy, Army and RAF helicopters, with these images captured from an RAF Chinook
He added: 'It was a great opportunity to capture this event; the opening of BALTOPS 15.
'I've never had an opportunity like this to fly over so many ships from so many different nations; it was a real honour and an experience very few pilots will ever get.'
BALTOPS 15 is a large-scale joint exercise focusing on maritime and amphibious operations which runs until 20 June.
More than 5,000 international personnel are participating alongside the 49 ships and 47 aircraft.
Organised by Strike Force NATO, participants in this year's exercise come from Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the USA and NATO partner nations Finland, Georgia and Sweden.
Royal Navy
Participants in this year's exercise come from Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the USA and NATO partner nations Finland, Georgia and Sweden.
This was a preparation for an even larger military exercise to test the Royal navy and NATO allies capabilities for the upcoming Trident Juncture 2015.
The Royal Navy's HMS Ocean performs complex training formations | Daily Mail Online
BySIMON TOMLINSON FOR MAILONLINE
With pinpoint precision, a fleet of 49 warships glides gracefully across the ocean in a series of stunning aerial images.
The vessels are taking part in a major Nato operation in the Baltic Sea led by the Royal Navy's fleet flagship HMS Ocean.
It involves bringing together ships from 17 nations – some less than 200m apart – and then moving them through a series of complex formations that tested their communications and navigational expertise.
Over the course of several hours, and in near perfect conditions, the team brought together amphibious landing platforms, destroyers, frigates and minehunters for the formations – the like of which have not been seen before with so many nations.
Scroll down for video
Graceful: Warships from 17 nations carry out exercises with pin-point precision in a series of stunning pictures taken on board a Chinook
Precise: The Nato exercise brought together amphibious landing platforms, destroyers, frigates and minehunters for exercises in the Baltic Sea.
Co-ordinating the audacious operation was HMS Ocean's Specialist Navigating Officer Lieutenant Commander George Storton.
The 32-year-old, from Bosham, West Sussex, said he started researching and planning the patterns six weeks in advance.
'We had 49 ships taking part of all sizes and speeds and that meant a lot of evenings on the internet researching the vessels, looking at where they could sit in the running order and then sketching out different formations over and over again,' he said.
'This was a massive communications piece as we had ships from several nations coming together on day one of the exercise.
'Many of us had never worked, or even spoken, before so we had to prepare for every eventuality.
'Fortunately, the whole serial ran smoothly and I was filled with an enormous sense of satisfaction when it was over.'
Patriotic: The Royal Navy has committed three vessels to the exercise – the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ocean along with Portsmouth based frigate, HMS Iron Duke and minehunter, HMS Quorn
Fighting force: Some 5,000 international personnel are participating alongside the 49 ships and 47 aircraft for the exercises in the Baltic Sea
Forty nine vessels are taking part in BALTOPS 15, the largest Nato maritime exercise of the year.
The Royal Navy has committed three vessels to the exercise the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ocean along with Portsmouth based frigate, HMS Iron Duke and minehunter, HMS Quorn.
This year's contribution to BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) is the largest ever by the Royal Navy and demonstrates the UK's ongoing commitment to NATO and allied nations.
Embarked on HMS Ocean are a series of Royal Navy, Army and RAF helicopters, with these images captured from an RAF Chinook.
Flight Lieutenant John Parry, 31, of 18 (B) Squadron, based at RAF Odiham, was in control of the Chinook.
Leading the charge: The audacious operation was co-oridinated by the Royal Navy's flagship, HMS Ocean
Embarked on the Royal navy's HMS Ocean are a series of Royal Navy, Army and RAF helicopters, with these images captured from an RAF Chinook
He added: 'It was a great opportunity to capture this event; the opening of BALTOPS 15.
'I've never had an opportunity like this to fly over so many ships from so many different nations; it was a real honour and an experience very few pilots will ever get.'
BALTOPS 15 is a large-scale joint exercise focusing on maritime and amphibious operations which runs until 20 June.
More than 5,000 international personnel are participating alongside the 49 ships and 47 aircraft.
Organised by Strike Force NATO, participants in this year's exercise come from Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the USA and NATO partner nations Finland, Georgia and Sweden.
Royal Navy
Participants in this year's exercise come from Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the USA and NATO partner nations Finland, Georgia and Sweden.
This was a preparation for an even larger military exercise to test the Royal navy and NATO allies capabilities for the upcoming Trident Juncture 2015.
The Royal Navy's HMS Ocean performs complex training formations | Daily Mail Online
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