Converted OSV Enters Service in the UK as an Underwater Surveillance Ship
by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a launchpad for remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and a home to a suite of specialist capabilities similar to those found in the offshore oil and gas industry.The ship, built in 2017 as a subsea construction vessel named Topaz Tangaroa, was acquired by the U.K. Ministry of Defense in January and converted at Cammell Laird for its new role as a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS). Proteus is equipped with a flight deck and a 1,000-square-meter cargo deck, plus a heavy-duty crane for lifting and lowering operations.The 6,000-tonne vessel left Merseyside in
BAE Systems Secures $4,81B Funding for Next-Gen Nuclear Submarine Program
The UK Ministry of Defense has awarded £3.95 billion (currently ~$4,81 billion) of funding to BAE Systems for the next phase of the UK's next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine program, known as SSN-AUKUS.According to BAE Systems, SSN-AUKUS will be the largest, most powerful, and most advanced attack submarine the Royal Navy has ever operated and will eventually replace the Astute class, which BAE Systems builds at its site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.The funding follows the AUKUS announcement in March by the leaders of Australia, the UK and the United States. This will eventually
Uncrewed Boats Are Changing the Way Wars Are Fought at Sea
, evolutionary approach to interpreting the convention in light of modern advancements, and the purpose of Article 29, could allow an uncrewed vessel to be regarded as a “warship” to ensure a state’s accountability for its actions. This is precisely the view taken by the UK Ministry of Defense in a submission to the House of Lords in November 2021. On the question of whether UNCLOS is “fit for purpose” in the 21st century, it said that Article 29 confirms that:"State responsibility for the actions of warships and requires that the state have an accountable system
SeeByte Selected to Develop Future Crewed-uncrewed Teaming Concept
SeeByte, developer of smart software solutions for uncrewed maritime systems, reports it been selected by the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s Defense and Security Accelerator (DASA) to design and develop a proof-of-concept solution to improve communication and understanding between operators and uncrewed maritime systems.The new concept will include tailoring the volume and content of messages received and predicting vehicles’ actions between communication updates, SeeByte said. The engine will present any variation detected between the predicted and actual actions of the vehicle executed
WFS Technologies Appoints Sharpe as Interim CEO
Peter Sharpe as interim CEO, taking over from Brendan Hyland who is stepping down after founding the firm more than 17 years ago in 2003.Sharpe, who was formerly a non-executive director of WFS, brings a wealth of experience. His career has included being Project Director of Digitization for the UK Ministry of Defense, and a Director of Operations for Jacobs. Sharpe will be working closely with WFS’s existing management team during the transition period.WFS provides a range of true wireless Subsea Internet of Things (SIoT) products that provide offshore operators with asset integrity monitoring with
Royal Navy Unveils Fish-like Submarine Concepts
; Unlike the submarines of today, which perform multiple roles in one hull, it is envisaged that the Royal Navy of the future would operate a family of submarines of various shapes and sizes, both manned and unmanned, to fulfill a variety of tasks. Rear Admiral Tim Hodgson, the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s Director of Submarine Capability, said, “We want to encourage our engineers of the future to be bold, think radically and push boundaries. From Nelson's tactics at the Battle of Trafalgar to Fisher's revolutionary Dreadnought battleships, the Royal Navy's success has always
UK MoD Orders Containerized Diving Systems
Submarine Manufacturing and Products Ltd (SMP) said it has won a contract with the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) to design and manufacture two 20ft DNV Containerized Diving Systems (CDS). SMP was selected through a tender process to design, manufacture and supply two identical 20ft DNV CDS. SMP said these systems will be based on a past proven design created by SMP with added bespoke requirements requested to meet the specific needs of the MoD. The CDS are made up of various different components including workshop area, dive control, three diver panel, cylinder quads and standby
UK Navy Upgrades Ambient Noise Prediction System
Cohort company SEA said it has been awarded a U.K. Ministry of Defense contract to upgrade the Ambient Noise Prediction System (ANPS) for the U.K. Royal Navy. The ANPS takes meteorological and oceanographic forecasts, together with oceanographic databases and performs complex acoustic propagation calculations to produce regular forecasts of ambient noise conditions in the ocean. The results enable the U.K. Royal Navy vessels to plan operations and improve the effectiveness of their sonars, allowing them to adjust elements such as sonar frequencies and depths accordingly. Noise
Zambellas to Join Liquid Robotics Advisory Board
globally. Zambellas has a highly distinguished naval career that concluded in April 2016 after a three-year appointment as Britain’s First Sea Lord. During this time he served in the U.K. Amphibious Force, the U.K. Maritime Force, NATO 4-star Maritime Command and Fleet Command and U.K. Ministry of Defense positions. As captain of HMS Chatham he was deployed as part of Operation Palliser to Sierra Leone, earning the Distinguished Service Cross. A champion of technological innovation, and a pioneer of unmanned systems in maritime operations, Zambellas has led the exploitation of
February 2024
