Prince completes Navy attachment
Prince William is completing his final day with the Royal Navy following an attachment in the West Indies.
He has been aboard HMS Iron Duke and helped catch drug smugglers in the Caribbean.
The young royal - who has also completed a four-month attachment with the Royal Air Force - is now expected to have a few weeks off before a stint in the Army Air Corps, as well as working with the Ministry of Defence and spending time observing Special Forces.
The Special Forces consist of a number of highly trained specialised troops units including the Special Air Service (SAS), the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR).
Clarence House would not confirm which branch of Special Forces the Prince would be spending time with.
William, who is an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, will work closely with The Central Staff at the MoD enabling him to see how the three branches of the Armed Forces work together.
Describing the Prince's time with the Special Forces, a Clarence House spokeswoman said: "Prince William will spend time visiting the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) in a non-operational environment, learning something of the discreet but important contributions the various components of Special Forces make to defence output."
During his five-week stint with the Royal Navy, William joined a rescue team on a hurricane disaster exercise in the Caribbean. He flew ashore by helicopter as the Navy tested its preparedness should a giant category five storm hit the volcanic island of Montserrat.
A highlight of this attachment was when the young royal was awarded his "wings" by his father the Prince of Wales. He followed in the footsteps of Prince Charles and his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh, who both earned the RAF flying badge.
But in April this year the MoD was forced to defend the actions of the Prince who used a helicopter training exercise to fly himself and his brother to a stag party.
William piloted a Chinook to London, picked up his sibling Prince Harry, and then travelled to the Isle of Wight for the social event.
The MoD stressed that the sortie was always planned as part of William's training and included all the elements being tested - flying in busy air traffic, crossing water and landing in an enclosed helicopter pad.
The RAF attachment also involved the Prince taking part in an operational flight to Kandahar, Afghanistan where he met frontline troops.
© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
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