RFA Mounts Bay, Falmouth’s adopted ship, has certainly has lived up to her role having been alongside the docks since January 2014, which must be something of a port record for a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship.

The ship sailed on Monday for helicopter trials off the coast and was expected alongside again yesterday. After her work up trials the ship will be deployed with the fleet.

The Bay class amphibious ships are part of the UK’s amphibious task group.

Working alongside HM ships Albion and Bulwark and the helicopter carrier Ocean, the ships are exercised at frequent intervals on large-scale military exercises. Troops from the Royal Navy ships establish a beachhead and landing zone whilst the Bay class ships remain a distance offshore launching troop carrying helicopters and landing craft to support the first wave of troops.

Having secured the beachhead the Bay class ships approach the shore where Mexeflotes are deployed to offload heavy vehicles.

Mounts Bay along with Lyme Bay and Cardigan Bay and the Argus are “Cluster” ships based in the port for repairs under a multi-million pound Ministry of Defence contract with the A&P Group.

Lyme Bay is currently in the Caribbean providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of several hurricanes which have devastated communities on Dominica and islands in the Bahamas. Cardigan Bay is deployed in the Gulf.