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More British naval power put to sea Thursday to join a US-led military build-up to pressure Iraq into complying with UN demands over weapons of mass destruction.

The Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean left Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, on the south coast of England, under sunny skies with 300 elite Royal Marines plus a crew of 750 on board.

Friends and family waved tearful good-byes -- and protesters unfurled "Stop the War" banners -- as the hulking grey ship cast off to take part in the biggest British naval deployment since the Falklands War 20 years ago.

"They are saying that Ocean and other ships are going out for exercises on the Mediterranean," said peace campaigner Matt Bury, from Plymouth. "But of course, that's half-way to Iraq."

Ocean is to join up with a task force led by the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, which left Southampton, also on the southern coast of England, last Saturday with helicopters -- but no fighter jets -- on its flight deck.

Ark Royal has spent this past week picking up supplies at the Glen Douglas naval base in Scotland, from where it departed Thursday to the sound of bagpipers and, again, protesters.

"She has completed the loading operation and everything has gone according to plan," a Royal Navy spokesman said.

Prime Minister Tony Blair was in Scotland on Thursday, meeting Labour party rank-and-file in an effort to convince them that a firm line on Iraq was in Britain's national interest.

Blair is to meet Friday at his country residence Chequers with the chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix, who Thursday in Brussels said that Iraq must do more to avoid the looming threat of war.

In parliament in London, Commons Leader Robin Cook -- a former foreign secretary -- said he thought it was likely that Blix would conclude more time was needed for further exploration.

In Edinburgh, Iraq was the topic of debate Thursday in Scotland's devolved legislative assembly, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) calling for no war on Iraq without a second UN resolution.

Officially, Naval Task Group 03 -- which includes about a dozen other destroyers, frigates, minesweepers and supply ships, plus a submarine -- is off to take part in training exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

But it could be sent on short notice through the Suez Canal to the Gulf for possible action against Iraq.

One oft-cited scenario anticipates a landing by Royal Marines in the south of the country, alongside US forces.

Britain already has Royal Air Force fighter jets based in countries around Iraq which fly alongside US warplanes to patrol no-fly zones over the north and south of the country.

It is also preparing armoured ground forces, including Centurion 2 tanks, based in Germany for deployment to the Gulf region.

Officials at the Ministry of Defense said the last call-up notices to 1,500 reservists were going out this week, telling the recipients to report to their bases for duty.

The call-up, announced on January 7 by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, is the biggest since the 1991 Gulf War, and defence sources said further notices would be being issued over the coming weeks.

The initial mobilisation is largely made up of "enablers" -- such as engineers and logistics experts -- who would be needed to prepare the ground for any deployment in the Gulf.

More than half are from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, with the rest split evenly from the Territorial Army and the Royal Naval Reserve.

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