Also included in the kit is a Lynx helicopter for use on the Flight deck if required
HMS Bristol is the latest in a succession of warships to be employed as the Royal Navy, Royal Naval Reserve, National Cadet Forces (NCF) and Youth Organisations Harbour Training and Accommodation Ship.
Permanently berthed at Whale Island, the Ship remains in commission, has an RN Commanding Officer and is administered as a Department of HMS Excellent. With a small complement of serving and civilian personnel, Bristol operates for 50 weeks of the year providing a range of training and accommodation for a variety of personnel.
A Type 82 Destroyer of 6750 tons, and the seventh ship to bear the name, Bristol was laid down as the first of her class, designed to escort the replacement fixed-wing carriers (CVAS) planned in the 60's, she was the only one built after the carriers were cancelled. Commissioned in 1973, she was finally withdrawn from service in 1991 and configured for her current role in 1993.
Currently one third of her compartments are used for accommodation, providing 460 berths for the fourteen thousand young people who pass through her every year. For many the ship is their first experience of the RN, and provides a lasting impression, one that will shape the lives of some. Exchange programmes using Bristol have included cadets from Canada, Bermuda, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Malta, the Falklands, South Africa, and the USA.
The Military Training School uses Bristol for combat intruder training, slingers learn how to move around heavy machinery in the confines of her engine room. HMS Sultan and Dryad use her for health and safety courses, in addition Medical trainees, Divers and Chaplains gain from training in on and around HMS Bristol