British ship design and systems engineering house, BMT recently unveiled the ELLIDA Multi-Role Support Ship design. This is the latest in a series of vessel concepts intended to meet the potential requirements of a variety of navies. Here we look at ELLIDA in detail and whether if offers options the RN should consider.More
There is a consistently held view that the Royal Navy was mistaken when it chose to adopt Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft carriers. In this long read we look at the convoluted history of the issue and review the arguments both for and against.
More
The RN is unlikely to see an increase in its major anti-submarine platforms in the near future. Recognising the danger posed by the continually evolving underwater threat, it has launched ASW Spearhead, an initiative to maximise the effectiveness of the assets its already has. There will be some new hardware, in the form of new sonars but much of the focus is on improving software, building sensor networks and giving the operators new decision-making tools.More
The Type 26 frigate is widely accepted as the best anti-submarine warship design available in the world right now. The quiet propulsion system that limits noise radiated from the ship is a key part of its ability to detect submarines. Here we take an overview of this very technical subject.
In February 2019, the then Defence Minister, Gavin Williamson, announced the plan to rapidly procure vessels around which two ‘Littoral Strike Groups’ would be formed. Here we look further at the Future Littoral Strike Ship (FLSS) concept and at the design developed by Prevail Partners as one of the potential candidates to meet this requirement.
British inventors have been responsible for many of the innovations that have made carrier aviation possible. The ‘ski jump’ was first developed in the 1970s to enable the Sea Harrier jet to launch more safely and efficiently and is a feature of the new QEC aircraft carriers, helping launch the latest generation of jets. Here we look at the history, design and purpose of the ramp.
In a previous article, we looked at the new jetty being constructed in Scotland for transferring munitions to and from Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. It is a complex subject but here we make a cursory examination of some of the weapons and their handling arrangements onboard the ships themselves.
More
Derived from the Danish Navy’s Iver Huitfeldt class frigate, the Arrowhead 140 is the Babcock/Thales concept for the Type 31e frigate competition. Here we look at the Danish parent design and the Arrowhead proposal in detail.More
HMS Medway arrived in her base port of Portsmouth for the first time on 17 June. She is in the process of working up before commissioning into the RN in September. We went on board to speak to her officers and look around the newest ship in the fleet.
More