The work of Culdrose staff to prepare Sea King helicopters for deployment in Afghanistan has been given the royal seal of approval.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose to present the Australia Shield to the Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control Force.

The Australia Shield was acquired using funds gifted from the people of Australia, and is awarded annually by the Commander-in-Chief to the front line squadron achieving the highest degree of operational capability. In a break with tradition, the award for 2009-10 has been made to the Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control Force as a whole in special recognition of their efforts getting this much needed capability ready for operations in Afghanistan.

Commander Pat Douglas, of the Maritime Sea King Force of the Royal Navy, who received the Australia Shield on behalf of his squadrons, said: “The drive and absolute focus of the Force to get into theatre and provide a much needed capability has been unstinting. The award of this Shield recognises all this hard work as well as the support provided from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose.”

The squadrons are currently engaged on Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, where the powerful radar and computing technology on board the Sea King helicopters of the squadrons provide an all-seeing “eye in the sky”.