Operation Lifespan - Maritime Counterterrorism Ops
- Si Biggs
- Feb 25, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 2, 2021
Unit/ Formation: Landing Craft Units Location: Loch Neagh Period/ Conflict: Northern Ireland Conflict Year: 1993 - 2002
Operation Lifespan on Loch Neagh
Grey Wolf Reversing into the Dock on 6 Mile Water
Since 1993 Royal Marine vessels LPV (Lough Patrol Vessel) Grey Wolf and Grey Fox were deployed conducting Maritime Counter Terrorism, Surveillance, Intelligence and Anti Smuggling operations on Lough Neagh and inshore waterways in Northern Ireland.
Both vessels were based in there own special dock at Massereene barracks with access to 6 Mile Water in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland where she was commanded by a Royal Marines Sergeant and manned by a crew of 6 Royal Marines and 2 Royal Navy personnel.
The crew of a second coxswain, crew man/ RIB coxswain and Naval communicator and engineer also included a 4 man team of Royal Marines, embarked to conduct close protection, boarding and ground operations for which the vessels would normally tow a 22ft Arctic RIB used to deploy this team.
Grey Wolf at speed on Patrol on Lough Neagh
Displacement: 24 tonnes (24 long tons)
Length: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Beam: 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Draught: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Propulsion: 2 × MAN 2480LXE diesels, 2 shafts, 1 x Joystick controlled loiter drive
Speed: 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h)
Range: 260 nmi (480 km) at 19 kn (35 km/h)
Sensors and processing systems: Radar, Mast mounted Thermal Imaging Camera
Armament: 2 × General purpose machine guns (stern-mounted)
Crew;
LC1 Sgt - Coxswain and Patrol/ Multiple Commander
LC2 Cpl - Second Coxswain / Patrol 2i/c
LC 3 Mne - Crewman/ RIB Coxswain
LMEM RN - Engineer
Communicator RN - Radio Communications
L/Cpl GD - Ground Team Commander
3 x Mne - Ground Team
They were acquired for the Royal Navy in 2003 for service with the Gibraltar Squadron, The Scimitar class, HMS Scimiter (Grey Fox) and HMS Sabre (Grey Wolf) releasing two Archer-class boats that had filled this role for service with the Cyprus Squadron.
I was there on “Grey Fox“ from mid 95 to mid 97 one of my best drafts in the RN. I was the Comms Man called “Elkie Brooks”
I’m ex RMP & used to be based in Armagh city.
2 of us used to travel up to Antrim to do boat patrols on Lough Neagh, pre 1993.
I was on there from 1990-1991 on what was then called “Op Sambo”.
We used a cabin cruiser as mother ship crewed by a RM & 2 RN members & the 2 of us RMP were on the rib as a boarding party, the rib piloted by a RM.
I can’t find any records of this anywhere, & would be interested to hear from any of the RM & RN guys who lived in Massereene barracks in the bungalow.
I remember Jack, Ian , & Cider, among others.