British sailors, submariners and naval aviators are pitting themselves against each other off Scotland to pick commanders for the UK’s ultimate military mission. Frigate HMS Sutherland and her Merlin helicopter plus one submarine are committed to Perisher – the demanding course which determines whether prospective commanders have the ‘right stuff’. Those who pass the assessment will go on to command submarines carrying the nation’s nuclear deterrent – or the hunter-killer submarines used to protect them from hostile threats.
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| HMS Sutherland frigate (Picture source: Royal Navy) |
