Royal Marine Lt Col Phil Kelly is the Strike Warfare Commander in the UK’s Carrier Strike Group battle staff which will be based in HMS Queen Elizabeth – his seventh aircraft carrier. During the past few years the 44-year-old Irishman has spent time on the USS Ronald Reagan, Harry S Truman and George HW Bush… Continue reading UK CARRIER STRIKE GROUP TAKES SHAPE FOR HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH
Category: On Watch
FIRST SEA LORD’S SPEECH TO ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE SEAPOWER CONFERENCE
Strategic responsibilities of navies Introduction It’s a pleasure to welcome you to the RUSI Seapower Conference. In the UK, a very large part of the centre of gravity of our defence and security is steadily moving toward the maritime. After a decade of enduring land operations, we are recapitalising our maritime capabilities, brought on by… Continue reading FIRST SEA LORD’S SPEECH TO ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE SEAPOWER CONFERENCE
‘EXTRAORDINARY’ ARTFUL SAILS ON MAIDEN VOYAGE
Nearly ten and a half years after the first steel was cut on her, HMS Artful (S-121) departed Barrow to begin her maiden trials – 15 months after she was rolled out of the cavernous construction hall at BAE Systems yard. Commanding Officer Commander Scott Bower guided the third of the Silent Service’s Astute-class boats… Continue reading ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ ARTFUL SAILS ON MAIDEN VOYAGE
HMS BANGOR EXERCISES WITH EGYPTIAN NAVY
Royal Navy warship HMS Bangor (M109) has been working out with the Egyptian Navy warship ENS Al Zaffer – the first joint UK and Egyptian naval training in over three years. HMS Bangor, a Sandown Class mine-hunter, sailed with ENS Al Zaffer, a Jianghu I class destroyer, from the home of the Egyptian Red Sea… Continue reading HMS BANGOR EXERCISES WITH EGYPTIAN NAVY
LARGEST SECTION OF HMS PRINCE OF WALES AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLOATED ON THE CLYDE
An 11,200 tonne aircraft carrier section has taken to the water for the first time in Glasgow, marking a significant moment in the block build stage of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier programme. Lower Block 04 is the largest hull section of HMS Prince of Wales contains the hangar, machinery space, mission systems compartments… Continue reading LARGEST SECTION OF HMS PRINCE OF WALES AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLOATED ON THE CLYDE
ROYAL NAVY SELECTS SEARCHWATER RADAR AND CERBERUS MISSION SYSTEM FOR THE AW101 MERLIN ASAC
The Searchwater radar and the Cerberus mission system of Thales UK was selected by the Royal Navy in order to equip the AW101 Merlin airborne surveillance and control capability (ASaC) helicopters. The specially adapted helicopter will enter operational service in 2018 and will replace the ageing Sea King Mark 7 ASaC helicopter, which is equipped… Continue reading ROYAL NAVY SELECTS SEARCHWATER RADAR AND CERBERUS MISSION SYSTEM FOR THE AW101 MERLIN ASAC
HMS DEFENDER AND RAF EUROFIGHTER TYPHOONS ‘FLEX FIGHTING MUSCLE’
Two of the UK’s most technologically advanced fighting machines have paired up off the South West coast to practise working together in a spectacular display. Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender and Eurofighter Typhoons from the RAF’s II (AC) Squadron have been training off the coast of the UK for the past few days,… Continue reading HMS DEFENDER AND RAF EUROFIGHTER TYPHOONS ‘FLEX FIGHTING MUSCLE’
ROYAL NAVY’S F-35B NEW STRIKE FIGHTER DROPS TWO LASER GUIDED WEAPONS FOR THE FIRST TIME
The bomb that will be the mainstay of strike missions by Britain’s next-generation jet has been successfully dropped by the stealth fighter for the first time. RAF test pilot Squadron Leader Andy Edgell released two Paveway IV laser-guided bombs, 500lb of combat-proven firepower already used in action by UK Harriers and Tornados, from his F-35B… Continue reading ROYAL NAVY’S F-35B NEW STRIKE FIGHTER DROPS TWO LASER GUIDED WEAPONS FOR THE FIRST TIME
ROYAL NAVY TECHNOLOGY ENSURES ILLEGAL DRUG SEIZURE
Nearly a tonne of heroin has been seized in a series of busts in the Indian Ocean – made possible by the use of the Royal Navy’s cutting edge technology. Six boats carrying narcotics were boarded off the east coast of Africa and their cargoes seized by an international task force which included British frigate… Continue reading ROYAL NAVY TECHNOLOGY ENSURES ILLEGAL DRUG SEIZURE
PRINCE HARRY LEADS TRIBUTE AS AFGHAN MEMORIAL IS REDEDICATED ON UK SOIL
Last Friday Prince Harry joined the families of fallen military personnel as one of the iconic memorials to the dead of the Afghanistan war was rededicated on British soil. Nearly 2,000 people – including the Prime Minister David Cameron, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, bereaved families, veterans and current servicemen and women – gathered at the… Continue reading PRINCE HARRY LEADS TRIBUTE AS AFGHAN MEMORIAL IS REDEDICATED ON UK SOIL