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)

The War Zone – The British Armed Forces have bolstered their air defense presence in the region, but it has also shown cracks in readiness.

iPaper – A British “hunter-killer” submarine could be on its way to the Middle East after cutting short its mission in Australia, military experts believe.

(Thanks to Alain)

Navy Lookout – Today, HMS Dragon left Portsmouth on her way to the eastern Mediterranean, primarily to protect Cyprus from Iranian drone or missile attack. Putting aside the wider arguments about Royal Navy readiness, here we briefly consider what it takes to get a warship ready for an operational deployment.

Navy Lookout – For years, warnings about the declining strength of the Royal Navy have been largely ignored. The crisis in the Middle East has placed the size and readiness of the RN in the spotlight, with various politicians and sections of the mainstream media describing Britain’s naval position as “weak”, “embarrassing” and “a disgrace”. Here we consider those claims, how it came to this, and a roadmap for change.

Navy Lookout – A Merlin helicopter equipped with the Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) system took off from RNAS Culdrose today for the long journey to Cyprus. Equipped with radar and specialist operators on board, the aircraft is ideal for tracking drones flying over water.

USNI News – The Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins plans to hold a Navy summit in April as he calls on his service to take the lead in uniting Northern European navies against Russia’s growing threat in the Arctic and Atlantic.

Navy Lookout – Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan has completed an intensive 72-hour live firing serial off the Welsh coast, facing drone and simulated missile attacks and complex internal emergencies. Exercise Sharpshooter attempts to replicate scenarios that reflect modern maritime combat.

UK Defence Journal – The Ministry of Defence has again declined to provide clarity on the future of the Royal Navy’s Type 32 frigate programme, saying all platform decisions will be taken as part of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

(Thanks to Alain)

Navy Lookout – HMS Anson arrived in Western Australia today to undertake the first-ever maintenance activity on a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine in Australia. The visit marks a significant milestone in AUKUS preparations and Australia’s ambition to operate conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Navy Lookout – After more than 4 decades of service, it was officially confirmed today that RFA Argus will be disposed of.

Navy Lookout – The two former Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave-class tankers are set for a return to service under new commercial ownership, keeping the ships available to allied navies rather than being scrapped or sold outside the NATO area.

Navy Lookout – The Type 31 frigate programme has now moved into serial production, with multiple hulls now progressing in parallel. Following a visit to Rosyth to speak with the workforce, here we provide an overview of the current state of this major shipbuilding project.

Naval News – The UK Royal Navy (RN) sees its continuing shift to a ‘hybrid fleet’ as central to prevailing in future conflict, and is focused on accelerating delivery of the maritime uncrewed systems integral to this new ‘hybrid’ force structure, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff General Sir Gwyn Jenkins has said.

Naval News – Britain will send its Carrier Strike Group back to sea in 2026 in a major show of force across the Euro-Atlantic and High North, reinforcing NATO’s deterrence at a time of rising Russian threats in the region.

Navy Lookout – Small and medium calibre guns have quietly become some of the most operationally relevant weapons in Royal Navy service. While missiles dominate discussions of high-end naval warfare, it is guns that provide the persistent, affordable and flexible means to deter, warn and defeat close-range threats. In recent years, that role has expanded dramatically as uncrewed aerial and surface systems have proliferated and increasingly appeared in real combat.

Navy Lookout – With her ship staff move onboard (SSMOB), achieved this week, Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer, HMS Daring has reached a major milestone in the epic project to regenerate a ship that has been non-operational for more than 8½ years.

Navy Lookout – At a special evidence session held today, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee examined growing threats to the UK in the undersea domain and considered what the response should be. It was an unusually strong session, with three highly experienced witnesses providing exceptional clarity on a subject that is often misunderstood or poorly explained.