Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (120 page)

             
"
To
even
things
up
a
bit
you
will
carry
observers
who
will
monitor
each
department
or
section
and
will
have
the
task
of
inserting
emergency
scenarios
in
that
department
'
s
operations
during
the
exercises.
The
same
will
be
happening
on
the
Kiev
.
She
has
undergone
a
major
rebuild
recently
and
has
a
number
of
upgrades.
I
must
stress
that
it
is
essential
that
should
a
real
emergency
arise
Heads
of
Department
will
have
the
authority
to
override
and
end
the
exercise.
"
He
looked
around
the
briefing
room
and
asked,
"
Any
questions?
"

             
Commander
Grenville
raised
his
voice,
"
Yes,
sir.
I
understand
the
Kiev
is
straight
from
the
builders
after
a
major
refit.
Is
she
fully
worked
up?
"

             
"
Good
question,
the
answer
is
no.
Like
yourselves
they
are
now
working
up.
The
Kiev
has
a
new
crew
on
board,
though
her
Command
Team
are
experienced.
For
training
purposes
we
like
to
work
up
new
crews
by
pitting
them
against
each
other,
but
there
is
a
risk
of
mistakes
leading
to
major
accidents.
So
there
will
be
experienced
teams
coming
aboard
to
'
shadow
'
during
the
evolutions.
"
He
smiled
as
he
continued,
"
On
this
ship
I
will
have
the
luxury
of
using
your
Flag
Command
Centre
to
monitor
the
exercise,
my
partner
in
crime
on
the
Kiev
will
have
the
use
of
one
a
great
deal
less
sophisticated.
"

             
Captain
Heron
asked,
"
Will
we
have
the
opportunity
to
hold
a
Captain
'
s
Conference
with
the
commanders
of
the
three
ships
working
with
us
in
this
exercise?
I
feel
strongly
that
I
should
at
least
have
the
opportunity
to
discuss
with
them
the
evolutions
I
might
have
to
put
this
ship
through.
"

             
"
Good
point
James,
and
yes,
you
will
have
that
opportunity.
You
have
one
destroyer,
the
Emden
,
and
two
frigates,
the
Lion
and
the
Lynx
with
you,
the
Emden
acting
as
your
Landing
Ship.
I
have
arranged
for
their
Captains
to
be
here
for
a
Captains
'
Conference
at
sixteen
hundred
today.
At
that
briefing
I
will
give
each
of
you
the
exercise
orders.
"

             
Further
questions
regarding
the
deployment
of
a
variety
of
weapons
including
mines
followed
and
assurances
were
given
that
though
these
would
be
used,
they
were
deactivated
and
although
they
would
respond
aggressively,
there
was
no
danger
of
damage
from
them.
Nick
Gray,
Flight
Commander
for
the
ship
'
s
strike
squadrons,
managed
to
ascertain
that
the
exercise
directors
expected
his
squadrons
to
be
fully
engaged.

             
But
the
briefing
officer
cautioned,
"
These
exercises
are
designed
to
test
you,
your
ship
and
your
systems
to
the
limits.
You
have
to
recognise
that
there
are
some
serious
risks
present,
not
least
because
of
what
we
are
trying
to
do
and
trying
to
teach
brings
a
lot
of
fast,
expensive
and
dangerous
equipment
together
with
inexperienced
pilots,
navigators
and
officers.
Accidents
can
happen
and
do
happen
–
but
we
must
ensure
that
the
risk
of
an
accident
is
as
low
as
reasonably
practicable
and
that
we
still
get
the
job
and
the
training
done.
"

             
"
Some
risks,
"
muttered
Nick
in
an
aside
to
Valerie.
"
He
'
s
joking
–
putting
two
hundred
strike
craft
into
a
giant
wargame
with
half
the
jockeys
straight
out
of
flight
training?
"

             
"
I
know
the
feeling.
Over
half
of
my
weapons
pods
are
being
handled
by
rookies.
The
potential
for
disaster
has
never
been
better,
"
she
replied.
"
At
least
we
Russians
do
not
expect
less.
"

             
Nick
grinned.
Valerie
'
s
fatalistic
approach
was
well
known
and
hid
the
fact
that
she
was
probably
the
most
professional
weapons
officer
in
a
branch
in
which
exceptional
professionalism
was
considered
average.
Her
reputation
for
targeting
and
accuracy
were
legendary
and
she
demanded
the
same
or
better
from
her
people.
And
her
teams
usually
delivered
it
as
well,
since
they
knew
that
she
could
do
everything
she
demanded
of
them
as
well
or
better.