Navy Lookout – This is speculation, but it is possible HMS Queen Elizabeth could go into a reduced readiness state until HMS Prince of Wales next maintenance period. Arguably, getting more availability from the RN’s frigates and destroyers is a more pressing need than having a second carrier at readiness right now. 

Navy Lookout – A Vanguard-class submarine returned to Faslane today after 205 days away, breaking the previous record for the longest unbroken patrol by a Royal Navy submarine.

RUSI – The next three weeks could change western security and the geo-political world forever if the Chagos ‘deal’ passes through UK Parliament.

Defence Blog – Certo Aerospace demonstrated CAPSTONE VTOL anti-submarine tracking capabilities for the Royal Navy at Keevil Airfield on February 23, 2026. The 600kg-class aircraft carried sonobuoys for more than two hours and transmitted acoustic tracking data through Starlink SATCOM.

(Thanks to Alain)

Navy Lookout – Royal Navy warships and aircraft have been activated repeatedly in recent days to monitor Russian naval activity in UK waters, reflecting a sustained increase in traffic through the Channel and North Sea at a time of heightened tension over sanctions enforcement.

Navy Lookout – Specialist Russian submarines have been detected operating in and around British waters, prompting a coordinated response to track and deter potential threats to critical infrastructure.

Guardian – A British warship and aircraft tracked and monitored Russian submarines attempting to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, ensuring they abandoned their mission, the defence secretary, John Healey, has announced.

Navy Lookout – Among other scattergun criticisms of the UK, President Donald Trump has said: “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work.” Here, we consider how his remarks contain elements of truth, but the wider picture is more nuanced.

Navy Lookout – RN recruitment continues to show signs of recovery, but the latest MoD figures underline a more stubborn problem – a further decline in trained strength that is eroding frontline effectiveness.

Navy Lookout – The RN has signed a contract with Teledyne Marine for advanced uncrewed sensing systems. The move signals further momentum behind the transition from traditional survey ships to distributed, persistent data gathering across the North Atlantic and beyond.

Navy Lookout – RFA Lyme Bay is to be equipped with autonomous and remotely-controlled mine hunting systems in Gibraltar. This will prepare the ship to support mine clearance operations in the Gulf region, if called upon.

Navy Lookout – Local media reports the UK has offered to sell the three River-class Batch I OPVs, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn to the Uruguayan Navy when they go out of service in 2028.

CIMSEC – Five strategic questions remain to be answered for the future concerning the operation of a two-carrier Navy.

Navy Lookout – HMS Dragon arrived off Cyprus this week and is now integrated with the international force providing air defence for the Island.

Navy Lookout – British forces have been ordered to intercept and board suspected Russian shadow fleet vessels in UK waters, as the government moves to tighten enforcement of sanctions. The announcement signals a more assertive maritime posture, with the RN expected to play a central role alongside northern European allies.

Navy Lookout – HMS Cutlass of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron has assisted French forces in the boarding of a suspect tanker in the western Mediterranean. The operation highlights growing coordination between European navies in enforcing sanctions at sea.

Navy Lookout – The Times reports that the Type 83 destroyer programme could be delayed due to the large funding gap in the MoD’s Equipment Plan. Here, we consider how the RN is likely to face very difficult trade-offs between programmes due to funding constraints.

Navy Lookout – Tensions in the Gulf have prompted the United States to call on allies to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats, including mines. In this historical overview, Tony Carruthers recalls how the RN responded to a similar request almost forty years ago, deploying a squadron of Hunt-class Mine Counter Measures Vessels.

The Guardian – Officials say military planners liaising with US Central Command but situation remains too dangerous for anything to happen soon.

Navy Lookout – Donald Trump has called for allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz (SOH). Here, we consider whether the UK is equipped to make a meaningful contribution and what a realistic Royal Navy response might look like.

Navy Lookout – There have been complaints in the media that HMS Dragon did not steam straight from Portsmouth to the Mediterranean when she sailed on Tuesday. Here we look why this is the case and the sensible way to deploy a warship.

Navy Lookout – Recent events in the Gulf have put the UK’s mine countermeasures capability in the spotlight. The RN is transitioning from crewed minehunters to autonomous platforms with the Franco-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme, moving from demonstration to operational reality. Here we consider this complex system-of-systems and the profound cultural shift now underway in how the RN approaches mine warfare.

UK Defence Journal – The Royal Navy is preparing to acquire a fleet of 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a programme known as Project Beehive, according to a newly published procurement notice.

(Thanks to Alain)