HMS Ark Royal becomes first Royal Navy ship to sign up to Twitter

By Ian Drury

HMS Ark Royal has become the first Royal Navy ship to sign up to Twitter


It was a Government warning to loose-lipped members of the British public during the Second World War: 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.

The slogan was the centrepiece of a high-profile campaign to warn people about the danger of unwittingly giving titbits of valuable information to enemy sympathizers.

But it appears Royal Navy sailors today are less likely to heed the message.

For members of the HMS Ark Royal are broadcasting their every activity using the latest social networking website.

It has become the first vessel in the fleet to sign up to Twitter - the internet phenomenon that allows members to update, or 'tweet', followers with brief messages of 140 characters or less.

Messages posted online this month include information about a chemical training exercise, complete with images of the crew in protective suits and respirators.

The crew has posted information about a disaster relief exercise as well as training for battle, fire-fighting and damage control.

On December 16, one message said: 'Just had our brief for our final training war tomorrow. We are all living up to our motto - "Zeal does not rest".'


Messages posted online includes information about a chemical training exercise, complete with images of the crew in protective suits and respirators


Other posts describe how members of the crew are relaxing with choir practice ahead of a Christmas carol concert and watching their favourite TV shows.

One 'tweet' from November 21 said: 'Storm force 10 winds at the moment. Had a good Saturday night at sea topped off with X Factor'.

But there are concerns that the crew could be giving away classified details about the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, as well as its locations and activities - posing a potential security risk as enemies can find out about the ship's movements.

The warship has just completed an operational sea training exercise off the coast of Plymouth, Devon.

A message on November 27 reported: 'Back in Plymouth for a while. Time to catch up with some R&R and some work before getting back into the thick of operational training'.


This picture was posted on Twitter with the caption: 'A 6 hour chemical training exercise today with chemical suits and respirators. All went well'


Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, a member of the Commons' defence select committee, said: 'I hope somebody is checking this to remind servicemen and women, and their friends and families, when they are straying too near matters that are operationally sensitive.'

The Royal Navy says that crewmen use HMS Ark Royal's Twitter page to keep friends and family posted about what they are up to during long weeks at sea.

Internet users can also message the crew back.

The vessel's commanding officer, Captain John Clink, said he was keen to keep up with the latest technology.

He said: 'For hundreds of years the Royal Navy has been at the forefront of technology - particularly communications between ship and shore.


There are concerns that the crew could be giving away classified details about the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, as well as its locations and activities


'So it's no surprise to me that we are embracing all available media, especially the internet, to keep the public up to date with our operations.

'Twitter gives Ark Royal an immediate, up-to-the-minute link into her followers, many of whom will be friends and family.'

The launch of Twitter in Ark Royal comes a month after the navy launched its trial of giving personal games consoles to sailors for engineering and maths challenges.

The aircraft carrier took to the seas again in September after a £12million refurbishment.

The slogan 'Careless Talk Costs Lives' was born in February 1940.

The Ministry of Information distributed two and a half million posters to offices, shops, public houses and other public places urging people to be careful about what they discussed for fear Nazi spies were eavesdropping.

Tweets from the Portsmouth-based ship can be viewed at www.twitter.com/HMSArkRoyal.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Social networking sites are an increasingly important way for the Armed Forces to engage with the public and keep in touch with family and friends which is precisely why our people are encouraged to talk about themselves and their work online within guidelines which protect their security, reputation and privacy.

'HMS Ark Royal's use of social media is part of our wider engagement with the public which includes regular updates from Afghanistan and other operational work.'



source: dailymail