A Defence Minister visited Portsmouth Naval Base last Monday (23rd of May) to see how it is preparing to accommodate the Royal Navy’s two new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers. Mark Lancaster, Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans, saw progress on various infrastructure works and in particular a new centre of specialisation which is nearing completion. The… Continue reading DEFENCE MINISTER SEES CARRIER PREPARATIONS AT PORTSMOUTH NAVAL BASE
Category: On Watch
HUGE UK BASED ANGLO FRENCH EXERCISE COMES TO AN END
A Tri-Service exercise designed to test the Anglo-French working partnership was completed last Friday after a fortnight of exercising on sea, land and air. Eight warships from the Royal Navy and Marine Nationale took part – Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean, HMS Bulwark, HMS Sutherland, as well as RFA Lyme Bay and French frigates FS… Continue reading HUGE UK BASED ANGLO FRENCH EXERCISE COMES TO AN END
HMS SOMERSET ESCORTED RUSSIAN TASK GROUP
A Royal Navy warship has shadowed a Russian Naval Task Group transiting through the English Channel and up the East Coast of the UK. HMS Somerset (F82), a Type 23 Frigate, along with her Merlin helicopter was used to detect and monitor the movement of the Russian warship, Vice Admiral Kulakov (626) and her supporting… Continue reading HMS SOMERSET ESCORTED RUSSIAN TASK GROUP
HMS ARTFUL BECOMES A COMMISSIONED WARSHIP
Astute Class submarine HMS Artful has officially become a Commissioned Warship of the Royal Navy at a ceremony at HM Naval Base Clyde. Guest of honour at the ceremony was the submarine’s sponsor Lady Zambellas, who had named Artful in September 2013, before her launch in May 2014, in Barrow in Furness. Amanda Zambellas was… Continue reading HMS ARTFUL BECOMES A COMMISSIONED WARSHIP
RFA MOUNTS BAY DEPLOYMENT TO AEGEAN SEA
The Prime Minister has announced that naval ship Mounts Bay will support the international response to the migrant crisis in the Aegean Sea. The Prime Minister has announced that naval ship RFA Mounts Bay will support the international response to the migrant crisis in the Aegean Sea. As the Prime Minister attends an EU summit… Continue reading RFA MOUNTS BAY DEPLOYMENT TO AEGEAN SEA
ROYAL MARINES PREPARE FOR COLD WEATHER TRAINING IN NORWAY
The crack of rifle fire and the roar of motor engines rebounded off the snow-covered fjords of northern Norway as Royal Marines prepared for NATO’s biggest winter war games. Fast raiding craft and hovercraft have been tearing up and down the inlets around the port Harstad – more than 150 miles inside the Arctic Circle… Continue reading ROYAL MARINES PREPARE FOR COLD WEATHER TRAINING IN NORWAY
HMS ARTFUL TEST FIRES FIRST TORPEDO USING NEW UK-MADE ADVANCED COMBAT SYSTEM
The firing tested the BAE Systems designed Common Combat System (CCS) on board, which functions as the digital ‘brain’ of the boat controlling its ‘eyes’, ‘ears’ and ‘nervous system’. Using the torpedo test, the cutting-edge system was able to interpret sonar readings, and then attack a moving target with a practice weapon. The CCS, completed… Continue reading HMS ARTFUL TEST FIRES FIRST TORPEDO USING NEW UK-MADE ADVANCED COMBAT SYSTEM
PRINCESS ROYAL FORMALLY OPENS ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE NEW UNIT
Leeds’ first Royal Naval Reserve Unit HMS Ceres has been formally commissioned by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Princess Anne was the guest of honour at the ceremony as the headquarters was formally dedicated before attending the official reception. HMS Ceres has existed in various forms as a naval establishment in Yorkshire over the… Continue reading PRINCESS ROYAL FORMALLY OPENS ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE NEW UNIT
HMS DEFENDER IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
HMS Defender’s helicopter ‘Joanna’ has been holding training drills in the middle of the Indian Ocean as the destroyer makes her way towards the port of Visakhapatnam in India. The Portsmouth-based warship is one of two dozen vessels from the navies of the world attending the Indian International Fleet Review, which formally opens on Friday,… Continue reading HMS DEFENDER IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
FIRST SAILORS JOIN NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN SCOTLAND
Twelve Royal Navy personnel have become the first crew to join the UK’s second aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, currently being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance in Rosyth. As the first Ship’s Company, the team will work alongside their Industry partners over the coming years to learn about the ship, the equipment and… Continue reading FIRST SAILORS JOIN NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN SCOTLAND