Base marks seventy years with annual Affiliates Day
HMS SULTAN has welcomed representatives from its affiliated organisations at a special event for its annual Affiliates Day held last week; which proved to be another special occasion this year as the Royal Navy’s centre of professional engineering continues to mark its seventieth anniversary.
Themed ‘Past and Present’, the day brought together representatives from Livery Companies, professional engineering institutes, field gun sponsors and other affiliated organisations to reflect on seven decades of naval engineering training and look ahead to the future of the profession.
Visitors from the Worshipful Companies of Fuellers, Founders, Turners, Plumbers, Blacksmiths, Shipwrights and Engineers joined colleagues from professional engineering bodies including IMarEST, IMechE, the IET and RAeS, whose support underpins the accreditation of HMS Sultan’s world-class training programmes.
Guests were taken on a tour of the Marine Engineering Training Group (METG) and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School (RNAESS), where engineers and technicians are trained to operate, maintain, diagnose and repair cutting-edge military technology, from the ships, submarines and aircraft of today’s fleet to the autonomous platforms of tomorrow. Affiliates also visited the historic Fort Rowner and enjoyed tours aboard HMS Sultan’s iconic Super Steam Sentinel Lorry.
HMS Sultan trains more than 7,700 personnel annually, serving the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and international partners. In 2026, as it celebrates its 70th anniversary as HMS Sultan, the establishment continues to evolve to meet the demands of a modern fighting force.
The Livery Companies, some of which trace their origins to the medieval trade guilds of the City of London, play a vital role in supporting HMS Sultan’s trainee engineers through the sponsorship of prizes and awards. Several awards were presented during the day to allow those in attendance to recognise outstanding achievement among the establishment’s engineers and technicians.
Training Officer Marine Engineering, Lt Aaron Stevens, said: “Royal Navy affiliations are enduring relationships with external organisations that strengthen community ties, support public engagement and reinforce the Service’s national presence.
They include links with City of London Livery Companies, historic trade guilds that now act as charitable organisations and sponsor prizes for HMS Sultan’s trainee engineers, as well as civic, youth and inter-service connections across Defence.”
He concluded by saying: “The theme of this year’s event, ‘Past and Present’, reflects HMS Sultan’s ambition to celebrate its remarkable engineering legacy while demonstrating how it continues to develop and deliver the skilled workforce needed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Readers can see more information about the Gosport-based training establishment and its seventy years of history by clicking on this link.
PICTURED BY WO1 SCOTT WHITING: The Commanding Officer HMS Sultan, Captain Mark Hamilton addresses guests at HMS Sultan’s 70th anniversary Affiliates Day, which was held last week at the training establishment.
