Navy Lookout – HMS Somerset ship’s company were re-called to Devonport on Christmas day and sailed on 27th December to monitor Russian vessels close to the UK.

Navy Lookout – In this article we look back at a difficult year for the RN, summarising the key events, achievements and issues for the Naval Service in 2024.

Navy Lookout – Until recently, the RN maintained a meaningful force of at least 6 ships based in Bahrain. For a variety of reasons, this force may soon just comprise of two ships.

Navy Lookout – At the recent IMarEST conference, the RN outlined some of its thinking about how the Type 26 frigate’s Mission Bay could be utilised in service. Here we look at these concepts and progress on the road to delivery.

Navy Lookout – The Sting Ray lightweight anti-submarine torpedo, the RN’s primary ASW weapon, is being upgraded to Mod 2 standard. In this article, we look at this programme and aspirations for various torpedo delivery methods.

Naval News – BAE Systems’ Herne extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV) has completed a first set of in-water trials and demonstrations a little over a year after commencing development.

Navy Lookout – On 20th November the government announced that it would be decommissioning 5 more ships. Here we look in detail at the context and future impacts of these choices.

Navy Lookout – The Defence Secretary confirmed in Parliament today that five RN warships are to be scrapped as a cost-saving measure.

Navy Lookout – Royal Navy monitors Russian seabed spy ship Yantar loitering in Irish Sea.

Wavell Room – The Royal Navy (RN) has the Maritime Reserve (MR), a 1* led Fighting Arm1 (FA), however, it could be argued that it is not taken seriously as a capability and is therefore not value for money. If the RN were to take the Maritime Reserve seriously, the MR would require a directed operational output, a ‘head mark’, a thought-out function, in conjunction with regular cadre of personnel who are taught the necessary knowledge and experience on how to employ it to enhance naval power. This article offers options for the output the MR should have in supporting the RN operationally.

Council on Geostrategy – Similarly to the previous administration, the new Labour government has pledged to embrace a ‘North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-first’ defence posture. A Strategic Defence Review is now underway to reappraise and determine the shape of the United Kingdom’s (UK) future defences. Given British dependence on the sea for economic growth and prosperity, as well as the Net Zero agenda, the sea power remains central to the national effort. Britain is situated at the centre of the Euro-Atlantic world, a perspective it should embrace and promote. As it looks to boost investment in defence to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and move towards greater integration between the armed forces, the new government should place sea power at the heart of its agenda.

Navy Lookout – During a recent trial, a Wildcat helicopter of 815 Naval Air Squadron shot down a Banshee target drone. The is the first time a Wildcat has detected, tracked, and engaged a drone without outside assistance, giving the aircraft an important air-air capability.

Navy Lookout – Here we examine the recent exercise Strike Warrior, which served as a certification exercise for the UK Carrier Strike Group and a valuable training opportunity. While there were some notable achievements, this exercise also highlighted some underlying concerns about the state of the force.

Navy Lookout – A recent article in The Sun newspaper suggests that submariners were almost “starved’ while on an epic six-month patrol because the boat could not be resupplied with food as planned. Here, we briefly consider the implications of this report.

Navy Lookout – While the main attention has been focused on the core issue of pay for Royal Fleet Auxiliary sailors, the long-running dispute between the Maritime Trade Unions (MTUs) and the MoD is more complex than has been presented in the media.

Navy Lookout – While the RFA is struggling to get ships to sea, the most active vessel in its fleet, RFA Tidesurge has been sustaining allied warships in the Atlantic and High North.

Navy Lookout – A recent paper produced by the Council on Geostrategy suggested that the RN should buy at least one additional Dreadnought-class submarine reconfigured as an SSGN to launch conventionally armed missiles. Here we consider this proposal and other options for increasing the submarine force strength.

Navy Lookout – Work has started on the third and final phase of the project to dismantle ex-HMS Swiftsure. As the demonstrator project for the dismantling programme, she will be the first former RN SSN to be fully disposed of.

War on the Rocks – After almost 59 years of controversial existence, the last vestige of the British Empire in the Indian Ocean, the British Indian Ocean Territory, is set to be wound up. On Oct. 3, Britain and Mauritius released a joint statement detailing a historic agreement via which sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, will be transferred to Mauritius. The sun is setting on the British Indian Ocean Territory and borders in the Indian Ocean are set to shift.

Navy Lookout – A Wildcat Helicopter has conducted a single successful test-firing of the Sea Venom missile at a barge anchored off the Aberporth Range in Wales. This trail marks a major step forward in the much-delayed integration of this important capability onto the Wildcat. Sea Venom has been in development since the late 1990s as the replacement for Sea Skua light anti-ship missile which was retired in 2017. It was supposed to go into service in 2023 but instead this capability has been gapped for almost a decade with FOC due in 2026.

Navy Lookout – An Astute Class submarine left HMNB Clyde this afternoon and is likely to be involved in the carrier strike group exercise Strike Warrior. She is the first Royal Navy SSN to go to sea since HMS Triumph returned to Devonport on 3rd July this year.

Navy Lookout – The sole UK solid stores support ship RFA Fort Victoria is being prepared to be laid up for at least a year, joining RFA Tiderace and RFA Wave Ruler in Seaforth Docks, Liverpool in long-term reserve.

Navy Lookout – Like all navies, the RN is seeking to reduce the number of sailors needed to operate its warships as qualified people are expensive and in short supply. While putting fewer people in harm’s way, a small crew can have limitations. In this article, we look at how the designers of the Type 31 frigate have balanced lean crewing with effective operation.

Navy Lookout – RFA Cardigan Bay arrived in Portland in early September after more than two years away from the UK. Due to crew shortages, the RFA is currently unable to move her from Portland to Falmouth to begin a planned refit.

RUSI – With the growing threat posed by Russia’s Northern Fleet and increased demand in the Indo-Pacific, the Royal Navy must overcome its submarine challenges to remain relevant.