For the version of the University Royal Naval Unit for under-18s (based in schools), see Combined Cadet Force.
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The University Royal Naval Units (URNU) (formerly Universities' Royal Naval Units) are Royal Navy training establishments connected to a university, or a number of universities concentrated in one area. There are 16 URNUs nationwide in the UK, and each URNU has land-based facilities near the university in question, up to eight training officers (usually members of the Royal Naval Reserve).

Units

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Unit shore locations, University Royal Navy Units
Unit Date established Unit location
East Scotland 1967 Hepburn House, Edinburgh
RMR Strathmore Avenue, Dundee
Glasgow 1972 Glasgow University, Glasgow
Liverpool 1972 HMS Eaglet, Liverpool
Birmingham 1984 HMS Forward, Birmingham
London 1985 HMS President, London
Bristol 1986 HMS Flying Fox, Bristol
Manchester & Salford 1986 University Barracks, Manchester
Northumbria 1994 HMS Calliope, Gateshead
Oxford 1994 Falklands House, Oxford
Wales 1994 HMS Cambria, Cardiff
Yorkshire 1994 HMS Ceres, Leeds
Devon 2017 HMS Vivid, Plymouth
Solent[1] 2021 HMS King Alfred, Portsmouth
Belfast[2] 2021 HMS Hibernia, Belfast
East Midlands[3] 2021 HMS Sherwood, Chilwell
Virtual[4] 2021 UK
HMS Dasher, attached to URNU Bristol, at Faslane in 2010

URNU ships are part of the Coastal Forces Squadron, or "CFS". CFS is commanded by Commander CFS, who previously was also Commander URNU, Commander Universities now being a separate post. The mission statement of CFS is to provide high-quality sea training experiences in support of the URNU mission and to deliver P2000 operational capability in support of other fleet tasking.[5]

When Devon URNU was established in 2017, catering to universities across the region. Devon was the first new unit formed since 1994. In 2021 there was a further expansion of the URNU. With new units in East Midlands, Belfast, Solent and Virtual.

Solent URNU was a merging of Southampton URNU and Sussex URNU, the unit more to a brand new location in Portsmouth where it could be inside HMNB Portsmouth.

East Midland URNU and Belfast URNU were both new units to cover holes in the coverage of URNU units where there are also large numbers of STEM students.

Virtual URNU was also setup after a year and half of online URNU to cater to those unable to get to a unit due to distance or any other issue.

Membership

University Royal Naval Unit training vessels Charger (left) and Trumpeter in Bristol in 2004

While the URNUs are commanded by Commander URNU, they fall under the overall jurisdiction of Captain BRNC (the commanding officer of Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth). Each URNU is commanded by a Lieutenant RN, Lieutenant Commander RN or RM Captain. Each URNU comprises 51 undergraduates who join for the duration of their degree, with the option of taking years out or leaving at any time, the URNU's also have attached cadets that are on Navy sponsorship/cadetship programs.

Undergraduates join for up to a maximum of 4 years. Members are list 7B reservists and therefore there is no call-up liability and members may leave at any time.

During the first year URNU students wear URNU slides on their shoulders and are Acting Officer Cadets (A/OC) and on completion of their first year they receive a white officer cadet tab in addition to the URNU slide. They can then be referred to as Officer Cadet (OC) and on completion of the second year students will wear Midshipman rank slides in addition to URNU tabs and are referred to as Acting Midshipmen (A/Mid). To achieve the substansive rank of Midshipman the URNU OC must pass out of BRNC via the reserve or regular courses. URNU OCs work through training logs and receive training credits, what was formerly task books, but these no longer correspond to the URNU ranks, which automatically promote over time.

Each URNU has a senior midshipman (SMid) and deputy senior midshipman (DSMid) (known as the Vice-President or 'VP' in URNU lasgow due to their role as mess vice-president) with a committee made up of various roles which differ according to unit, but will generally include a treasurer and sports and adventurous training officers alongside other roles, and this committee will take a leading role in programme planning and assist in the running of the unit. The committee is supported by the unit CO and a Coxn, usually a full-time Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer (CPO) as well as a civilian secretary. Each unit also has the capacity for up to eight training officers, who may be ex-Navy, former URNU students, or civilians with relevant experience, who are appointed as Royal Naval Reserve officers (RNR) though they do not hold a commission or require an Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) pass.[6] URNU training officers now wear the reserve 'R' within their executive curl to show their status. Some are being given the opportunity to attend AIBs and pass out of the reserve's Accelerated Officer Programme.

Training and unit life

Example on the River Tyne at HMS Calliope, Gateshead

Training focuses on leadership, navigation and seamanship, and this is put into practice during sea weekends, and longer deployments during the summer and Easter vacations. Drill nights also often include lessons on wider navy knowledge, drill practice, and visits from serving personnel and affiliated units as well as practical leadership tasks and team building. Units also frequently undertake visits to affiliated units and local training establishments to experience military life first hand. Training is assessed via successive taskbooks which must be signed off by members of the unit staff or P2000 ships company. Advancement in rank depends on completion of each taskbook.

There is also a significant and important social element to URNU life from formal mess dinners including the main naval formal event of the year, Trafalgar Night, to informal socialising in the unit's mess which contribute to unit integration and may be coordinated by a dedicated social secretary.

There are sporting activities held within the URNU units, informal contests between the units and an annual sports weekend in Portsmouth between all units.

See also

References

  1. ^ "URNU Solent".
  2. ^ "URNU Belfast | Royal Navy".
  3. ^ "URNU East Midlands | Royal Navy".
  4. ^ "URNU Virtual | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  5. ^ "Patrol boats | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  6. ^ BR 3 (2) Chapter 25 - Volume 2 - The University Royal Navy Units. London: Royal Navy media office. 2016.

External links