Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset has left Devonport Royal Dockyard for sea trials with significantly increased sustainability and fighting capability, following a successful nine-month docking period undertaken by Babcock; the first major maintenance period conducted under the full implementation of the
Defence Ministers Andrew Robathan and Philip Dunne, plus one of the UK’s most senior military commanders, saw the RN’s Gulf mission first-hand on a visit to Bahrain. Armed Forces Minister Mr Robathan and Mr Dunne, who’s responsible for defence equipment, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Comma
The delivery ceremony of two vessels for the United Arab Emirates Navy was held on Tuesday, January 8 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia). These were an “Abu Dhabi Class” corvette, launched in February 2011, and the “Ghantut” patrol vessel, launched at the same yard in January 2012.
1. January US Navy to Deploy Third Carrier Group to Persian Gulf The US will dispatch another carrier strike group led by USS Enterprise to the Persian Gulf in March 2012, reported US Navy on Jan 25. The carrier group based in Norfolk, VA will also include a guided missile cruiser and three [&hell
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Portland arrived at its base-port of Plymouth following a £27 million-pound refit. The refit, in Rosyth, Scotland, took 50 weeks and was carried out by Babcock at the Fife dockyard. With more than 260,000 man-hours invested in the almost year-long project, the 133-metre HM
Type 23 frigate HMS Portland is on her way home to Plymouth after a major refit at Rosyth shipyard. Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Portland has left Rosyth to return to her base port of Plymouth. The departure follows a 50-week, multi-million pound refit by Babcock at the Fife dockyard. With more th
HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy’s largest warship which played a starring role during the London 2012 Olympics, will receive a £65M upgrade (USD 104.8), the MoD announced on December 12. Work on the helicopter carrier, which was moored on the Thames during the Games and provided essential security support
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has awarded a £1.2 billion (USD 1.92 billion) contract for Audacious, the latest Astute Class attack submarine to be built for the Royal Navy. Audacious is the fourth of 7 Astute Class submarines being built for the Royal Navy. They are the most technologically-advanced
University boat HMS Exploit made the short trip from her home in South Wales up the River Severn to Gloucestershire for a weekend visiting her affiliated town. The patrol boat, which serves Birmingham’s universities, berthed in Sharpness docks, just a couple of miles from the small town of Berkeley.
A £46M contract to support and maintain a new sophisticated combat system across the Royal Navy’s world class submarine fleet has been awarded to BAE Systems. The Design Services Arrangement (DSA) contract will ensure that the system, which is used to navigate vessels as well as gather intelligence
HMS Echo took eight would-be navigators to sea as experienced sailors assessed whether they had ‘the right stuff’ to guide Her Majesty’s ships on the world’s oceans. The survey ship was used by staff and students on the Fleet Navigating Officers course – which sets the benchmark for all navigators o
The U.S. Navy has announced that, together with the Chilean Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA), it plans to research possible alterations to the subsea floor caused by the earthquake and tsunami in February 2010, reports Santiago Times. The research vessel USNS Pathfinder will cond
The sixth and last Type 45 destroyer has successfully completed her second spell of sea trials, paving the way for her handover to the Navy in the spring. HMS Duncan has returned to Scotstoun on the Clyde after three weeks of tests and trials off the west coast of Scotland which concentrated on her
The Royal Navy has described how the combination of a Type 23 frigate fitted with Thales UK’s Sonar 2087 and a Merlin helicopter equipped with the Thales FLASH dipping sonar has delivered an outstanding anti-submarine warfare capability. HMS Northumberland, sailing as part of the UK’s Response Force
