Tamar on the Thames – the Royal Navy’s newest warship on show in London
The 4th Batch II River-class OPV, HMS Tamar spent the last week in the high profile berth alongside HMS Belfast in London. We visited the ship to hear about her progress.
News Commentaries
Order placed for new Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron patrol boats
After a request for tenders was issued by the MoD in 2018, today it was finally announced that the contract to build two new boats for the RN Gibraltar Squadron has been awarded.
From procedural to operational – Carrier Strike Group exercise Crimson Ocean
On the 29th April HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed to conduct Operational Sea Training, this was followed by her first operational exercise. The ship returned to Portsmouth today and we spoke to senior officers about the experience and the future programme.
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Warship building in the pandemic – progress on the Type 26 frigate
Like every aspect of life in the UK, the industry that supports the Royal Navy has been impacted by the effects of COVID-19. We spoke to BAE Systems, the Ministry of Defence’s largest supplier, about how they have adapted to the new conditions.
Patrol boats for the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron
This week two of the RN’s 32-year old P2000 patrol boats were loaded onto a ship for delivery to Gibraltar. They will replace the existing Gibraltar Squadron patrol boats, HMS Scimitar and HMS Sabre, pending the delivery of brand new vessels.More
Rolls Royce MTU engines selected for the Type 31 frigate
Babcock announced this week that MTU has been selected to supply the main engines and generator sets for the Type 31 frigate.
Into the Bear’s backyard – the Royal Navy in the Barents Sea
HMS Kent is currently operating in the Barents Sea with US Navy warships conducting maritime security operations. This is a significant deployment as officially the US Navy says it has not sent surface ships to the area since the mid-1980s.More
Cure for Royal Navy destroyers engine woes in sight
This evening HMS Dauntless sailed from Portsmouth, heading to Birkenhead. She will arrive on Merseyside on Tuesday morning and be the first Type 45 to undergo work to cure the propulsion problems that have plagued these ships.More
HMS Queen Elizabeth prepares to sail despite COVID-19 crisis
(UPDATED) HMS Queen Elizabeth will leave Portsmouth for another period of training next week but it was announced on 23rd April that her departure will be delayed by a few days while the entire ship’s company is tested for COVID-19. At a time when aircraft carriers in other navies have experienced widespread infection amongst their crews, we look at the rationale for sailing and the measures taken by the RN to mitigate risks to its personnel.