Royal Navy innovation and transformation
During the Surface Warships Conference 2021 (held online, 19-21 January) senior officers offered some insight into how the RN is working towards its vision for the future. More
Future Royal Navy
A year in review – the Royal Navy in 2020
2020 has been a memorable year for everyone, mainly for the wrong reasons but the Royal Navy has quietly triumphed in adversity. While existential threats continue to grow and the near term still looks difficult, the Naval Service can perhaps look forward more positively to the future than at the start of the year.More
Royal Navy emerges stronger from initial defence review announcements
In a bullish statement to the House of Commons today, the Prime Minister promised extra defence spending to “restore Britain’s position as the foremost naval power in Europe”. Here we analyse the first outcomes to emerge from the Integrated Review of foreign, defence, development and security policy. More
A pale imitation of Carrier Strike?
On 24 June 2020, the National Audit Office published their report “Carrier Strike – Preparing for deployment”. Their thorough examination presents a mixed picture of a project that is broadly on track but in many aspects is struggling with funding issues that threaten to drastically curtail the UK aircraft carriers’ full potential.
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
After the pandemic. Turbulent times for UK defence and security?
In this speculative piece, we look at how the effects of the global pandemic may impact UK defence decision-making.
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Manta – the Royal Navy gets its first extra-large autonomous submarine
In early March this year, the First Sea Lord revealed that the RN will receive its first large unmanned submarine. Here we look at the background to this project and how the platform will be used to test technologies and develop doctrine.
Royal Navy combatants – fitted for, but not with anti-ship missiles
After some optimism last year that the RN would be able to at least partially replace its ageing Harpoon anti-ship missile system, recent statements in Parliament have cast doubt over whether this can be achieved.
Enhancing the Royal Navy’s batch II OPVs
Speaking at DSEI in September 2019, RN Commander Operations, Rear Admiral Paul Halton said: “We are thinking about how we might enhance the lethality of the Batch II OPVs”. In this article, we consider some of the options and implications for upgrading these vessels.