Is the Royal Navy in a terminal or temporary decline?
On 20th November the government announced that it would be decommissioning 5 more ships. Here we look in detail at the context and future impacts of these choices.
Analysis
How Cammell Laird shipyard has re-emerged as a critical Royal Navy supplier
Although perhaps now better known for ship repair rather than shipbuilding, Cammell Laird and the wider APCL group is now heavily engaged in building sections for the Dreadnought submarine and Type 26 Frigate programs. Here we look at how this organisation has assumed a vital role in supporting the fleet and become a key enabler in major naval projects.More
SSGNs and SSKs? Imagining an expanded Royal Navy submarine service
A recent paper produced by the Council on Geostrategy suggested that the RN should buy at least one additional Dreadnought-class submarine reconfigured as an SSGN to launch conventionally armed missiles. Here we consider this proposal and other options for increasing the submarine force strength.
What is the state of Royal Navy anti-ballistic missile capability?
On 1st October Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles. The US Navy participated in the destruction of some of the missiles but poor messaging by UK politicians led to considerable confusion about whether the RN had contributed to this defensive mission. Here we look at the the RN’s current and future ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities.
Will Norway buy Type 26 frigates built in Britain?
In 2023, Norway concluded a thorough defence review and is restructuring its armed forces with increasing spending, spurred by the rising threat from their Russian neighbours. As part of this programme, in April 2024 it was announced they are seeking to procure at least 5 new frigates with help from allied nations. Here we consider the possible contenders.
More
Should the Royal Navy consider an alternative approach to Multi-Role Support Ship design?
In this guest article, Robert Moyse argues that the RN should take inspiration from the US Marine Corps and consider cheaper, smaller and more numerous vessels to meet the MRSS requirement.
Constellation-class: the US Navy’s struggle to forge a new generation of frigates
After the perceived failure of the Littoral Combat ship programme, the US Navy has shifted its focus back to building traditional frigates. In this piece, we examine the turbulent beginnings of the Constellation-class (FFG-62) project and look at the wider lessons for those involved in warship design and acquisition.
Atlas Elektronik UK proposes mid-size USVs as naval force multipliers
Uncrewed Surface Vehicles have already proved able to deliver a basic autonomous mine hunting capability for the Royal Navy. Here we look at proposals by AEUK to expand the role of USVs to act as sensor and weapon platforms.
Royal Navy frigate strength to get worse before it gets better
The RN’s frigates are supposed to be the backbone of the fleet but it has become increasingly difficult to keep the ageing Type 23s going while their replacements are some years away from commissioning. Here we look at the current situation and the implications for future fleet strength.