Today HMS Forth sailed from Portsmouth for the South Atlantic to be permanently deployed as the newest Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel (FIPV). In this guest article, Chris Sutton who served on some of the FIPVs provides a history of the RN vessels assigned to this role.
Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace made his first appearance before the House of Commons Defence Select Committee on Wednesday 23rd October. In a generally impressive and honest performance, he answered a wide range of questions, mainly about naval matters.
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Right now there is plenty of imagery and media coverage of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier project. Discussion is mostly focussed on their size and design, their aircraft, their price and the politics of their construction but often a basic explanation of their function has been lacking. Here we outline the purpose and value of an aircraft carrier.
At the start of the Type 31 frigate project, it was always acknowledged that credibility of the vessel would hinge on the weapon and sensor fit as much as the platform itself. The Arrowhead design selected by the MoD is mature but there is still another year of detailed design work and certification to complete. Although far from comprehensive, some details of the programme and the frigate’s weapon and sensor fit are now available.More
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and UK naval engineering specialists, BMT have formed a partnership to bid for the contract to build the Fleet Solid Support ships (FSS). At DSEI this week they released more details of their design.
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RFA Tidespring arrived on Merseyside on 8th February for her inaugural docking. A Cammell Laird press release at the time said this new vessel would undergo a planned 4-month inspection and maintenance period. Nearly 7 months has passed and the ship has not left the yard. More
This week the MoD Weapons, Torpedoes, Tomahawk and Harpoon (TTH) Project Team issued a Contract Notice (CN) which outlines more of the requirements for a new weapon to replace the Harpoon Block 1C anti-ship missiles.More
Tony Radakin was appointed First Sea Lord (1SL) and Chief of the Naval Staff in June 2019. He is seen as a reformer who is keen to accelerate change within the Royal Navy. Here we examine the issues he may face in his three-year tenure and what his priorities for the Naval Service may be.
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The oldest of the Royal Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, HMS Vanguard is currently in Devonport undergoing major refit and refuelling. There are strong indications the project is in trouble and she will be unable to return to service at the start of 2020 as originally scheduled, with knock-on effects for the 3 remaining boats that maintain the nuclear deterrent.