Tag: Royal Navy

The 50,000 flight hours milestone celebrated by the Royal Air Force and the Affinity Group was an important achievement for the company. In only seven years, Affinity evolved from a ten-employee startup to a group of 180 professional personnel operating a fleet of 42 aircraft training aircraft in three bases, supporting the elementary, basic, and multi-engine pilots training for the RAF and Royal Navy. With this proven record, Affinity has established itself as a role model for other countries looking for a similar approach to military training.

Thales UK and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have joined forces to offer IAI’s Sea Serpent anti-ship missile to replace the Harpoon Block1C anti-ship missile currently in service on board the Royal Navy Type 23 frigates.

Babcock Team 31 has been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) as the preferred bidder to deliver its new warships. Led by Aerospace and Defence company Babcock, in partnership with the Thales Group, the T31 general-purpose frigate program will deliver the Royal Navy with five light frigates, at an average production cost of £250 million per ship. The first ship is scheduled for launch in 2023. The ships follow Babcocks's Arrowhead 140 design, balancing between global mission capability in blue or white waters, both at an affordable cost. Work on the fleet of five ships will begin immediately following formal contract award later this financial year, with detailed design work to start now and manufacture commencing in 2021 and concluding in 2027.

Israel's armor specialist Plasan was selected to design and produce armor protection for Britain's new Type 26 frigate. The ships will be built by BAE Systems in Glasgow, Scotland and are considered among the world's most advanced combat ships. Armor production for the first three vessels will begin this year. Plasan's advanced armor technology has been implemented to protect armored vehicles and personnel, transport aircraft and helicopters as well as naval vessels. The Royal Navy plans to replace eight Type 23 Duke class anti-submarine frigates with six Type 26s, based on BAE Systems' 'Global Combat Ship' design.

The Sea Ceptor weapon system recently completed its first successfully firings from HMS Argyll, the first Type 23 to undergo the life-extension program.

The four River class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) operating with the Royal Navy are expected to reach the end of their service by the end of the decade. They will be replaced by five new River Class ‘Batch 2’ boats. The first – HMS Forth will be delivered in 2018.

2017 represents a turnaround year for the British Royal Navy. After years of budget cuts that resulted in diminishing the size and risk of...

The most recent Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) published in 2015 confirmed the British government intends to maintain the current sea power. Eight Type 26 frigates and Five Type 31 general purpose ships will replace the fleet of Duke class frigates over the next 15 years.

HMS Queen Elizabeth II arrived today at its home port at Portsmouth, following its first sea trial last month; With its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, the new carriers will become the centerpiece of the Royal Navy.

The Spearfish heavyweight torpedo used with all classes of Royal Navy submarines is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade, improving the propulsion, homing, tactical systems and warhead. The fleet will begin receiving the improved torpedoes by 2020 and complete the upgrade in four years and prepare the weapon to challenge future threats.

The Vanguard class submarines maintain the UK strategic nuclear deterrent force.

BAE Systems was awarded £3.7 billion to build the first three Type-26 boats. Work on the first frigate, HMS Glasgow, began in July 2017. According to schedule, the Glasgow will be commissioned in 2021 and the 8th of this class is expected to enter service in the mid-2030s.

The construction of Astute class attack submarines is ongoing, in April 2017 MOD announced the conclusion of negotiation of the contract to build the Agamemnon, the sixth of seven Astute class attack submarines that will cost £1.4 billion.

The British Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin announced a £269M (US$327 million) deal for the procurement of 10 aerial surveillance systems to operate on the Royal Navy new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. Initial deliveries are expected in 2018 with initial operational capability in 2020.