We are changing our name. This re-branding is to reflect a subtle change of direction. We are no longer a ‘campaign’ and the new name reflects a simpler focus on quality analysis and news.
To be honest, we were never very effective as campaigners in the traditional sense. We have, however, succeeded in becoming a trusted source for politicians and journalists, while engaging with industry figures, defence commentators and have gained a significant public following. The new name builds on the existing Twitter ‘brand’ and we will continue to ‘lookout’ for the interests of the Royal Navy.
Save the Royal Navy perhaps carried an overly negative connotation about the state of the Senior Service that some people were uncomfortable with. While the RN certainly faces serious challenges and continues to be under-resourced, it remains one of the foremost navies in the world. We aim to offer balanced analysis, treading the fine line between promoting the excellent work and capabilities of the service, while highlighting issues that need be addressed. Our mission is to be a leading independent resource on all matters relating to the RN. Navy Lookout will build on the work of its predecessor and continue to provide politically non-aligned and timely online coverage.
The website has been re-designed to improve the organisation of articles, make better use of imagery and deliver an enhanced experience for mobile users. Some of the older material in the archive which was outdated or no longer meet quality standards has been deleted. We have also removed the upvote/downvote option for article comments as this had become a distraction from healthy debate. (See also our updated comment moderation policy)
The site is funded by reader donations and the modest income from Google ads. We are open to carrying other commercial banner advertising but do not accept paid ‘advertorial’ articles.
Thank you to everyone who has supported SRN in the last 13 years, especially those who have written for us, done research and contributed photos. We particularly appreciate those who have made donations and the thousands who have participated in constructive debates on the website and social media. We are always looking for new authors to contribute articles (subject to our editorial guidelines). If you are interested please contact us.
Onward and upwards.
More genuine.
And no down voting.
Two hours……..and no down votes……….oh dear……. 🙂 😉
I’m not one to Crow but, Looks like I was right !
I have lit a tealight for my dear departed little friend.
Feck me X , I’m Having a Bonfire here ! Strutting around the Field like the only Cock in a whole field of Hens. I can just imagine your Downvoting friends right now , Such Losers.
It didn’t bother me. It just made the whole venture here look stupid.
I can almost see your big grin from here.👍😂
I can see it and feel it here too. I can also see the Boiling Heads too.
I am used to up setting w’anchors. It happens to me in real life too. 🙂
About time really. Thank you STRN for removing that utterly ridiculous feature, It was a tool for abuse only, much over-used used by some and we all know who they were.
I was getting worried at the number of upvotes I was getting on the discussions over 40mm and 127mm cannon…….thought I had done something wrong…..and got too friendly with the Trolls……
IRL there was far too much down-voting of people posting useful links and checkable facts. So rather than people being able to read and look at the information and form a view from the, often very considered views posted, they will have been swayed by the manic downvoter(s) into thinking that accurate info was tosh.
We are all spending a lot more time on here that we usually do: something to do with the lockdown and having time to burn?
He started upvoting anybody I was in a discussion with……..
Who was doing it?
Brilliant page and a great step to change the name, just wish the RAF had such a page/organisation
The RAF does it. It is called the MoD…………. 😉 🙂
I don’t think the need for a campaigning group to promote the RN has gone away.
Agreed. Especially with the current shower in charge. It is of course entirely up to the site owners what they do with it. I’m not on twitter so the branding is not connective for me. I’m sure the articles will be just as interesting, although I would have kept the name. It conveys alot just for a title and if it made some people uncomfortable all the better. The navy still needs saving in my opinion.
You are absolutely right about that, Not sure of the Influence this little old site managed to have though ? It’s a great place to learn and keep updated with the goings on though.
They don5 post enough septum anymore, you would 5hink they wo7ld post more now with the time we have niw
Fantastic rebrand. I love the new ‘Key Topics’ section, it enables us to really easily navigate to topic areas we wish to focus on. Super effort. Keep up the great work. Well done. Stay safe.
Great news, Would like to see more Articles next.
Good luck!!
Yes Ron, we all agree on that, Have an Upvote. You OK Hun ?
I get that. I think RN (& defence) did actually need saving! Unprovable, but I believe your site did help support the general increase in defence funding from which the navy has and will benefit. Well done and continue looking forward to more insight.
Reckon ?
Something somewhere had an effect somewhere!
I don’t think SVRN did it all by itself but I do think it was part of an effect that gained cross party support and featured in the conservative leadership race.
Getting a few facts out there to counter mad Max Hastings and his oil tanker can be turned into an aircraft carrier with only a few steel plates welded on….
Things are getting better particularly now RN seems to be able to manage money better on at least some medium scale capital projects. The subs still seem to be the Achilles heel of capital spending. A lot of that is down to contract type and skills fade from not having a steady drumbeat – a very expensive way of saving money.
This site had nothing atall to do with defence increase in funding, the defence needed that funding to just continue with the merge projects they have going and it’s still not enough
I notice that some replies in the recent posts were from Navy Lookout. Now I know why. Good look. This is a great site.
A good revamp. And good articles. Enjoyable, despite the Alphabet Soup o dizzying nomenclatures…
In the same vein perhaps (?) as ‘Lookout’ you could encourage an ‘Army Scout’ and a ‘Fighter Sweep’ group to join with you in a ‘Combined Ops’ suite of websites…?
Looks really good, and the rebranding is appropriate. BZ to the team 🙂
A good, sensible rebrand- makes sense to me!
As has been said before, it would be good to have similar pages for the other branches; although UK Land Power does a fairly good job with the Army, the focus solely on longer articles means that it’s harder to get an appreciation of the overall status of the Army, if that makes sense? There’s nothing that I’m aware of for the RAF. The balance here between analysis and general updates on things Royal Navy is a good one, in this regard
UKDJ tries and cover all the branches, do you think they sufficiently fill the niche?
George does a great job, don’t get me wrong. Especially as he brings in more writers- I’ve seen a few new names under articles recently.
UKDJ is great at catching all of the latest defence news, but I think that the deeper analysis stuff is generally more detailed on here or UK Land Power. That is not a criticism of UKDJ, covering all things defence is a different beast than focussing on one branch. I’ve noticed the detailed articles have got more detailed on UKDJ, so maybe we’ll see!
Intelligent decision. ‘Fit for purpose’.
Like the revamp. Name change is a good idea & may also widen the readership.
I believe that STRN was very appropriate at the time that it was so named. The RN was rapidly moving towards irrelevance with the cutbacks, decreased funding, removal weapons systems, ships in caretaker status because of lack of funding and sheer lack of personnel to man them. I don’t know if the corner is completely turned, but prospects for the RN is a damned sight improved than they were even a year ago.
Navy Lookout is an excellent name IMO, and fitting for it’s purpose. I do not understand however, why the upvote/downvote option was eliminated. It was a means of opining without having to write a dissertation as to why one agrees/disagrees. Put that option back if you ask me.