The recent news that some hull blocks for the second Type 31 frigate, HMS Active will be built a Poland has caused some controversy around warship construction work being done overseas. Here we look at this in context and summarise current progress with the Type 31 programme.
To some extent, the capability of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the background to its development. Public perception has perhaps been over-focused on cost and initial armament, obscuring what has been achieved. In this article, we look at the procurement process and design philosophy that underpins the project.
On 16th October, a Wildcat helicopter conducted the first operational firing of the Marlet missile. The aircraft, 219 flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron and based on HMS Defender launched the missile, successfully hitting the target while flying in the Bay of Bengal.
Babcock has announced it had held talks with officials in Greece proposing the Arrowhead-140 design (the basis for the Royal Navy’s Type 31) as a candidate for the Hellenic Navy’s new frigate modernisation programme.More
The Integrated Review confirmed what had been rumoured for some time – the RN will gradually replace its remaining 13 minehunters with remotely operated or autonomous systems based on small boats. This in-depth article considers the developments that are underway and the advantage and risks that come with this innovation.
The first of Britain’s new nuclear deterrent submarines, HMS Dreadnought has now been under construction for over 4 years. Although still relatively early days and available information is inevitably limited, some further details of the boat’s design and progress on this vast project have emerged since our first article on the subject in 2017.
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As the clock runs down to the first operational carrier strike group deployment, Lockheed Martin, Thales and Leonardo are working to complete and flight-test the Crowsnest system that will provide airborne early warning capability. Here we take a look at the progress on the project.
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.
In May 2020 the first successful firings of the Martlet (Lightweight Multi-role Missile) were made from a Wildcat helicopter. Are we look at the development of this weapon and the new airborne anti-surface capability this will give the Royal Navy.
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