While meeting with his Norwegian counterpart on board HMS Queen Elizabeth in Oslo today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has finally confirmed the RN will purchase the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to fulfil the interim anti-ship missile requirement.
HMS Westminster, a Wildcat helicopter and three RAF Typhoon jets launched a variety of weapons, sinking the former USS Boone during exercise Atlantic Thunder held on 7th September.
The acquisition of anti-ship missiles for the RN took another twist yesterday when it was revealed that the project to procure the weapons has been resurrected after it was cancelled in November 2021. A wide-ranging and unusually candid Commons Defence Select Committee hearing on 5th July also covered a range of UK shipbuilding and procurement issues.
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On 13 April, Ukrainian sources say they struck the Russian cruiser RFS Moskva with two Neptune anti-ship missiles in the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense subsequently admitted there was a fire on board, crew being evacuated and ultimately the ship had sunk under tow. Here we look at the background and implications of this action.
The UK government says it will send further lethal aid to help defend Ukraine from invasion. Various media reports also say Britain will send anti-ship missiles, including the venerable Harpoon system. Here we consider how realistic that may be and other options to hold the Russian navy at risk in the Black Sea.
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On 21 February the MoD published the Defence Equipment Plan (EP) which focuses on procurement for the next decade. Here we take an overview of some of the implications for naval capability.
On 2nd November 2021, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee held a session covering a wide range of issues relevant to the current and future state of the Royal Navy. Here we summarise the key issues that were discussed.
The announcement of the shortlisted options for the Royal Navy’s Interim Surface-to-Surface Guided Weapon (I-SSGW) competition should be made soon. Here we assess the background to the procurement and the likely candidates.
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In an encouraging statement to Parliament this week, it was revealed that the Type 26 frigates will be equipped with the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) from 2028. This confirms there has been positive progress with the FCASW project and the RN will be able to field a ship-based land-attack and much-improved anti-shipping capability sooner than expected.