Royal Navy News

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Quantum Sensing Beats GPS-Denied Navigational Challenges

is being turned into an advantage for GPS-denied navigation.A new quantum sensing technology from Australia-based Q-CTRL has most recently caught the interest of Lockheed Martin and the US Defense Innovation Unit, but the company is already working with the Australian Department of Defence, the UK Royal Navy, the US Department of Defense and Airbus.These agencies are interested in a quantum-sensing-based navigation system, because amidst growing international conflict, GPS denial is being increasingly used as a weapon of both traditional warfare and non-traditional economic sabotage.“China and

L-R: Captain Jim Lovell - Navy Develop - Head of Underwater Battlespace Capability, Commander Mark Butcher - Navy Develop - Hydrographic, Meteorology and Oceanographic Capability Sponsor, Jon Godsell, Maritime Systems Programme Manager, Dstl, NOC CEO Dr John Siddorn, and Andy Liddell, Head of Maritime Unmanned System, SALMO and Boats, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).
Credit: NOC

NOC and Royal Navy Renew MOU on Underwater Systems

The UK's National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Royal Navy, reinforcing a long-standing partnership in marine science and technology.  The MOU, which includes collaboration with the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s science and technology organization, underscores a shared commitment to fostering innovation and advances in autonomous and robotic underwater systems.With expertise from NOC Innovations, the applied research and commercialization arm of NOC, the agreement will help enhance

Source: Royal Navy

New Royal Navy USV to Neutralize Mines

The Royal Navy now has taken delivery of a 12m uncrewed surface vessel (USV), called Ariadne, that will be used to detect mines.This advanced technology is expected to increase operational tempo, and it eliminates the needs for sailors to enter mine danger areas.Royal Navy Motor Boat (RNMB) Ariadne can be deployed from a harbor or mother ship to scour the seabed for mines, using Thales Towed Synthetic Aperture Multiviews systems.The vessel can operate either fully autonomously or remote-controlled by operations in the portable remote command center.Fitted with AI automatic target recognition, Ariadne

(Credit: UK MOD / Crown Copyright 2024)

Babcock Hires KDC Veolia to Assist with UK’s Nuclear Submarine Dismantling

to be fully dismantled and disposed of. The project is expected to lead the way, providing a proven approach for recycling of the current UK decommissioned fleet of submarines.The submarine remains on track to be dismantled by 2026, ahead of the wider program to fully dismantle all decommissioned Royal Navy submarines, which will free up space and capacity that can be used in delivery of programs enabling submarine availability.“This is a world first. We are bringing together our experience of supporting the entire UK submarine fleet, our nuclear expertise and our ability to bring the best of

Screenshots of SeeByte’s software showing Mission Planning, Monitoring and Post Mission Analysis for the SeaCat AUV (© 2024 SeeByte Ltd). Background image: ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK ARCIMS with SeaCat onboard (© 2024 ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK).

SeeByte Wins Deal to Continue UK Mine Hunting Capability Program Support

a three-year contract by Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S), part of the UK Ministry of Defense, to provide its suite of C2, mission-level autonomy, target recognition, support, and development services to the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Delivery Team and related programs in support of the Royal Navy.The contract has a three-year initial term with options to extend the duration up to two additional years. The base contract award is £2.4 million with the potential for future flexible tasking orders up to a maximum of £50 million over the full contract term.This multi-year award directly

(Photo: HII)

UK Royal Navy Buys More Remus UUVs

HII, a manufacturer of underwater unmanned vehicles (UUV), announced the recent sale of three REMUS 100s and five REMUS 300s to the U.K. Royal Navy for underwater exploration, countermine and surveillance programs.Over the past 20 years, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense has acquired a mix of REMUS 100s, Remus 300s and REMUS 600s for mine countermeasure operations. The Ministry’s first two REMUS 100s, acquired in 2001, are still in operation today, demonstrating the resilience and modernization capabilities of the HII-built UUVs.The new REMUS 100s and 300s are equipped with advanced sensors

(File photo: U.K. Ministry of Defense)

UK to Transfer Two Minehunters to Ukraine

Britain said on Monday it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy, as it sets up a new maritime defence coalition alongside Norway to help strengthen Ukraine's sea operations.Britain said the two Sandown Class mine countermeasures vessels will enable Ukraine to better counter the threat from Russian sea mines, aiming to restore Ukraine's export routes via the Black Sea.The transfer of the vessels was announced alongside the launch of the Maritime Capability Coalition set up by Britain and Norway to improve Ukraine's navy to make it more compatible with western

(Photo: Estonia Ministry of Defense)

UK, Finland, Estonia Practice Subsea Infrastructure Protection in Baltic Sea

Command said.All three participants are members of the NATO military alliance but the exercise is taking place under their Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) defence cooperation, which encompasses the Nordic and Baltic states, the Netherlands and Britain.Britain said on Thursday it would send seven Royal Navy ships and a maritime patrol aircraft to take part in JEF patrols in the region in December.In October, Britain had said it planned to step up its military presence in Northern Europe, including deploying 20,000 troops to the region next year, to help protect critical infrastructure at a time of

Credit: Babcock

Babcock Signs $916M Submarine Infrastructure Deal with UK Defense Ministry

the infrastructure required to support and sustain the UK’s submarines for decades to come.As part of the major infrastructure program underway at the Devonport site, Babcock said it would deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability of the Royal Navy and the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise.The contract for the delivery of infrastructure to support submarine maintenance includes a dock, logistics, and modern support facilities.The contract forms part of the site-wide infrastructure upgrade programme at Devonport to enable the ongoing delivery

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