Current RN News and Updates

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Royal Marine band opens the Combined Naval Event CNE2024

https://www.navyleaders.com/combined-na ... t-overview

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UK confirms progress on DragonFire laser weapon

In a recent written question to the Ministry of Defence, Conservative MP Sarah Atherton inquired about the steps being taken to ensure the operational readiness of the DragonFire laser weapon system.

Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Defence, responded with details on the ongoing efforts to validate and mature the DragonFire system.

According to Shapps https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-conf ... er-weapon/

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Britain ‘assessing options’ to increase air wing of carriers

In response to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Damien Moore, the Ministry of Defence has addressed the potential retrofitting of Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers.
Moore inquired if the Department would evaluate the benefits of adding catapults, additional angled decks, and arresting wires to the carriers.

James Cartlidge, the Minister of State for Defence, provided insight into the ongoing plans for these state-of-the-art vessels. According to Cartlidge, the aircraft carriers were constructed with the flexibility to accommodate future capability enhancements throughout their operational lives.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... -carriers/

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Navy Lookout
@SEA_Limited @Chess_Dynamics Ancilia passive decoy launcher model on display at #CNE2024
The Type 45 Destroyers, Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates will be equipped with a pair.
3 Photos https://x.com/NavyLookout/status/1793180177339441368
Article https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy- ... launchers/

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Royal Navy needs to ‘adapt faster’ Second Sea Lord says

If the Royal Navy is to reach its 2040 goals, it must adapt faster and embrace cutting-edge technology, a senior naval officer has said.

Vice Admiral Martin Connell, Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, addressed this year’s Navy Leaders Combined Naval Event, stating: “Navy 2040 will deliver the Navy our nation needs and upon which our security and prosperity will increasingly rely.”

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/royal-n ... lord-says/


Defence Secretary warns of growing global threats

Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, addressed the London Defence Conference at Bush House today, emphasising the need for increased defence spending and stronger global alliances in response to imminent global threats from authoritarian states.

Shapps began by reflecting on the optimism of 2012, contrasting it with today’s more perilous global landscape. He highlighted the shift from a “post-war to a pre-war era,” pointing out that authoritarian states like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly collaborating and acting aggressively to advance their strategic goals.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/defence ... l-threats/


Independence risks shipbuilding says Defence Secretary

During a visit to the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps highlighted the potential economic risks of Scottish independence on the UK’s military shipbuilding industry.

Myself and other journalists were invited to tag along and ask questions.

Speaking to Shapps in the ‘Robert Napier Building’, an office block within the shipyard, under the bow of the massive Type 26 frigate HMS Cardiff, I sought clarification on the shipyard’s future both within the UK and outside the UK.

I asked https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/indepen ... secretary/

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Navy returns bell recovered from WW1 shipwreck returned to US

The bell of one of the most notable US Navy shipwrecks in history has been returned to our closest allies.

Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell formally handed back the iconic object, recovered from the wreck of the USS Jacob Jones – the first American destroyer to be lost to enemy action.

She was sunk by U-boat in December 1917 after completing a convoy escort with the loss of 64 lives.

The wreck was discovered some 375ft down, three-dozen miles south of the Scilly Isles in August 2021.

Despite the remoteness and depth of the destroyer, US authorities were concerned that unscrupulous salvage hunters might try to steal the bell and asked the UK government to recover it.

Defence Equipment & Support’s Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) team used the commissioning trials of a state-of-the-art, remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to bring the bell up from the seabed – placing the US flag on the wreck before coming back to the surface.

Continues https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... rned-to-us

Also https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyd ... C%20London. - LFT

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Navy Lookout
PODS with attitude...
@ILAerospaceIAI
All Capabilities Defence Container (ACDC) concept for defence against asymmetric attacks #CNE2024
2 More photos https://x.com/NavyLookout/status/179354 ... 03/photo/1

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Navy Lookout
Delivering the Submarine Enterprise #AUKUS
VAdm Nick Hine - text of speech given at #CNE2024
"Delivering Together
My Speech on Delivering the Submarine Enterprise Together at CNE2024.
It seems to be the political issue of the day – is 2% or 2.5% or 3% enough?
The reality is that it is not about the number, its about delivering the nuclear enterprise so that it is a CREDIBLE and therefore effective DETERRENCE to those who wish us and our interests and values harm.
The right number is however much it takes, but that’s not just about cash, its about:
· Reforming our processes and
· Freeing up the investment needed
A National Endeavour must mean ALL HANDS ON DECK – in practise, not just in words. I’m afraid that announcing it does not make it so.
The reality is that the nuclear enterprise is both complex, and complicated.
There is a reason that only a very few nations on earth do this."
Continues https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deliveri ... ine-asdge/

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Navy Lookout
RN Lieutenant severely reprimanded, lost seniority, and fined £3600, by a court martial.
Fatigued OOW almost allowed HMS Penzance to collide with product tanker MV Sten Baltic while on exercises in Firth of Clyde, April 2023.
(HMS Penzance decommissioned January 2024)
https://maritime-executive.com/article/ ... and-tanker

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Survey reveals 23% of personnel to leave forces due to pay

The Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) 2024 has highlighted significant concerns among Regular Armed Forces personnel.

It revealed that less than a quarter (23%) of respondents are planning to leave the service, citing dissatisfaction with pay and low morale as primary reasons.

Extract
Service-Specific Satisfaction
Army personnel are the most satisfied with service life (44%), followed by RAF (37%), then Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel (33% and 32%, respectively).
Satisfaction among Royal Navy personnel has fallen four percentage points since 2023 to its lowest ever level. Levels of satisfaction among the other services remain relatively stable since last year but are considerably below the recent peaks reported in 2021.

Article https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/survey- ... ue-to-pay/
Data https://www.gov.uk/government/statistic ... urvey-2024