The Russian Navy commissioned the Project 21180 icebreaker ‘Ilya Muromets’ in a ceremony at the Admiralty Shipyards on November 30. Though it is likely to remain the only vessel in its class due to high construction costs, Ilya Muromets is the first icebreaker built for the navy in 40 years. The ves
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 joined NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) in La Spezia, Italy, to take part in a series of experiments and trials last week. Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond, Turkish Navy’s TCG Barbaros and Spain’s ESPS Blas de Lezo visited Italy after
Orkney researchers have found the vessel used by HMS Royal Oak sailors to escape the sinking battleship in Scapa Flow. While the whereabouts of the wreck of HMS Royal Oak, which sank in the first weeks of the World War II, are known, researchers struggled to locate the battleship’s steam pinnacle in
Researchers believe they have found the wreck of the first ship to be sunk in World War 2 – the SS Athenia. The wreck was located 650ft down around 50 miles south of Rockall by shipwreck hunter David Mearns as he was helping to provide the most comprehensive map of the waters for Irish Government [&
The wreck of what is believed to be the Royal Navy’s WWII submarine HMS Narwhal has recently been found by hydrographers off the coast of Scotland. HMS Narwhal was last seen in late July 1940 when she left her base to lay mines off German-occupied Norway during the Battle of Britain. Sitting upright
Taking part in the submarine escape and rescue exercise Dynamic Monarch for the first time, NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) supported the exercise using a new digital underwater acoustic communications capability providing more effective command and control to escape a
A multibeam survey conducted as part of a maritime archaeology project has confirmed the exact location of the Royal Navy’s WW1 destroyer HMS Pheasant. Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA), the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute and SULA Diving said they are now a
UK company SEA (Systems Engineering & Assessment) has unveiled its new and improved thin line KraitArray towed Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) sonar at this year’s DSEI exhibition in London. Compared to the current 50m, the KraitArray now extends up to 150m in length, offering operators greater detecti
Researchers from Denmark, Canada and the US worked together recently to plant buoys into the Arctic Ocean to collect weather and oceanographic data to enhance forecasting and environmental models. The U.S National Ice Center (USNIC) coordinated with the Office of Naval Research, Office of the Oceano
German and Norwegian defense ministers formally marked the start of a joint undertaking to acquire six Type 212 air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines. Over the course of the next seven years, Norway will receive 4 and Germany 2 submarines. Additionally, the two countries are to cooperate on na
UK-based defense contractor BAE Systems announced it has been awarded £457,000 to design and deliver the UK’s first dedicated autonomous systems testing service. The grants were awarded by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a locally-owned partnership between businesses and authorities.
The UK should no longer delay ordering new naval vessels if it wants to be able to protect the world’s merchant fleet, Guy Platten, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping, writes. Platten argues that the security of the UK and its trading economy depend on the Royal Navy’s ability to protect the global m
The Italian Navy-operated NATO research vessel ‘Alliance’ started a 20-day Arctic Ocean campaign during which scientists will carry out geophysics, marine geology and oceanography research. Dubbed High North 17, the campaign will be joined by scientists from Italian and international organizations i
NATO’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise Dynamic Mongoose 2017 concluded in the North Atlantic Ocean on July 6. Led by NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, the exercise gathered units from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Th
