PROTEUS – the Royal Navy’s uncrewed ASW helicopter nearing first flight
We spoke with Leonardo representatives at the recent Combined Naval Event in Farnborough about the current status of the PROTEUS Rotary Wing Air System (RWAS) project.
Current news
HMS Venturer leaves Rosyth to be floated off
This short photo essay shows the Royal Navy’s first Type 31 frigate, the future HMS Venturer, being moved out of Rosyth and taken down the Firth of Forth.
UK and France mark D-Day anniversary with joint amphibious exercise
Royal Marines have landed ashore in North Devon alongside French and Spanish troops as part of Exercise Catamaran, a large-scale amphibious warfare training event involving over 3,000 personnel from three nations.
Babcock awarded contract to begin defueling decommissioned nuclear submarines stored at Devonport
The MoD has awarded Babcock a £114M contract to prepare for the first nuclear defueling of a decommissioned Royal Navy Trafalgar Class submarine in over 20 years.
Plans for the Royal Navy’s Extra Large Underwater Autonomous Vehicle – XV Excalibur
The RN has released a short video detailing plans for its first XLUAV, acquired under project CETUS, which has now been launched and named XV Excalibur. Here we summarise the presentation and the future of the programme.
Implications of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review for the Royal Navy
The SDR has finally been published. Here we focus on what this document and accompanying announcements say or don’t say about the future for the Royal Navy and wider defence issues.
Government commits to building 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines
In the first major naval announcement of the Strategic Defence Review, the Prime Minister has promised to construct up to 12 SSNs (nuclear-powered attack submarines) to replace the Royal Navy’s 7 Astute class boats from the late 2030s.
RFA Stirling Castle to be transferred from Royal Fleet Auxiliary to Royal Navy
RFA Stirling Castle was acquired to operate as a mothership for autonomous mine-hunting boats. Mainly due to personnel issues, she will shortly be transferred from the civilian RFA and commission into the navy as HMS Stirling Castle.
Royal Navy presents bold ambitions for the Future Air Dominance System
The Future Air Dominance System (FADS) will define the UK’s maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) and Long-Range Precision Strike (LRPS) capability from the late 2030s. Here we look at the latest thinking on this programme and at the Type 83 destroyer, which will be at the heart of this system.
Virtual Warrior: Royal Navy training to fight modern threats before setting sail
As part of the preparation for a testing deployment, the battle staff and warfare teams assigned to the Carrier Strike Group for operation HIGHMAST conducted a major synthetic exercise. Exercise Virtual Warrior took place, not at sea, but in the hangar of HMS Queen Elizabeth while alongside in Portsmouth.
