Current RN News and Updates

[Pelican]

Later today, Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Defence Ministers will meet to discuss upholding undersea security in northern Europe.

Find out more about the JEF at - https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/17 ... 9744563218

[Pelican]

Later today, Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Defence Ministers will meet to discuss upholding undersea security in northern Europe.

Find out more about the JEF at - https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/17 ... 9744563218

Also see - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... -security/

[Pelican]

Sting Ray - https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/ra ... don-fleet/

Also - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBVoEsVsrDE

[Pelican]

Sir Humphrey

Its been a busy week for the Royal Navy, deploying multiple warships on operations across the Channel, Baltic, Med and Gulf, while also sustaining global ops.
Pinstripedline blog on the success story about how the RN continues to deliver for the nation.
See - https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com ... royal.html

[Pelican]

House of Lords AI in Weapon Systems Committee

The government should proceed with caution in development and use of AI in autonomous weapons.
Today we publish our new report looking at use of AI-enabled autonomous weapons systems.
See key recommendations and links to full report:
https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.c ... ttee-tweet
And - https://twitter.com/i/status/1730515957972455468
Also - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/governm ... n-warfare/

[Pelican]

UK decides not to follow French steps anonymising warships

A recent decision by the French navy to remove pennant numbers and names from some of its vessels, effectively anonymising them, has prompted a written question asking about UK plans to do the same.
The UK went even so far as to indirectly question France’s compliance with international maritime law in removing pennant numbers from their warships.

Luke Pollard, the Shadow Minister for Defence, directed a question to the Secretary of State for Defence.

He asked, “What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the removal by the French navy of pennant numbers and names from some of its vessels to anonymise those vessels.”

In response, James Heappey, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence and Minister for the Armed Forces, stated, “The UK continues to ensure that its warships satisfy the criteria as set out at Article 29 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”

The French navy’s move to anonymise certain vessels is certainly an unusual step. Conventionally, warships are identified by their pennant numbers and names, fostering transparency and accountability in international waters.

Article 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a specific definition and requirements for warships. The relevant part states:

“Warships mean ships belonging to the armed forces of a State bearing the external marks distinguishing such ships of its nationality, under the command of an officer duly commissioned by the government of the State and whose name appears in the appropriate service list or its equivalent, and manned by a crew which is under regular armed forces discipline.”

Removing pennant numbers from warships may not directly violate Article 29 of UNCLOS, which mandates warships to be clearly marked with their nationality. However, it could be seen as straying from the spirit of the article. Whether this constitutes a violation depends on the broader interpretation of UNCLOS and how these ships are otherwise identified, it’s anyone’s guess and I’m not paid enough to make that judgement.

Source UKDJ

[Pelican]

Analysis: Royal Navy deploys seven ships on underwater infrastructure patrols

In an announcement made this week, the MoD has said the RN will deploy a substantial force of vessels to patrol areas with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure in cooperation with other nations. Here we look at the context of this action and what this may mean in practice

On 28th November Defence Ministers from the Joint Expeditionary (JEF) nations agreed to activate a ‘Response Option’. This will take the form of a Royal Navy-led effort to bolster the security of undersea infrastructure and deter hybrid threats. Since the destruction of the NordStream pipeline in September 2022 and the attack on the Baltic Connector pipeline in October 2023, there has been increasing concern about underwater Russian activity. The Defence Secretary described this as “This historic and unprecedented agreement”. It is certainly been a long time since the UK conducted multi-lateral military activity in the European area that was not done under the auspices of NATO.

Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/analysis-ro ... e-patrols/

[Pelican]

RN has introduced a "refer a friend" scheme - £500 bounty for those who encourage friends to join.

In the short-term at least, the problem is not just a lack of applicants but a failure to get them processed and into basic training.
See - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... d-500.html

[Pelican]

Government accused of ‘window dressing’ defence capabilities

In a recent, and quite charged, Defence Committee session, Minister James Heappey MP was subject to intense scrutiny, particularly from Kevan Jones MP, who pointedly accused the government of ‘window dressing’ due to a lack of substantial military resources.

Chaired by Robert Courts, the committee looked at the issue of the Armed Forces being overstretched.

James Heappey MP contended, “We are asking them to do more with what they have” but acknowledged the military’s resource limits: “We have a finite number of infantry battalions.”

The dialogue took a more critical turn when Kevan Jones MP accused the government of creating a facade of military capability. He stated, “For the UK to try to say it will have a presence now in the eastern Mediterranean because of the Gaza crisis when we cannot even sustain it for very long is not very credible, is it?

It might make a headline to give the impression that you are doing something, but if you have only got it there for 18 days and seven missions, with a Type 45 which possibly is coming to the end of its tour, and you cannot deploy a similar Type 45 in that theatre, that is window dressing rather than having capability, is it not?”

The chair added: Continues at - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/governm ... abilities/

[Pelican]

Sir Humphrey

Significant funding shortfalls means the MOD can establish but not operate the 3rd F35 Squadron, and there is no funding for Warrior & Challenger 2 upgrades available...See 1 attached.

The NAO report into the Equipment Plan has been published.
Utterly damning in exposing how the plan is unaffordable, cancellations loom and how CS recruitment freeze will delay delivery of vital projects.
A desperately grim read...See 2 attached.
And - https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/equipmen ... 3-to-2033/

MoD facing £17bn equipment plan shortfall
See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/mod-fac ... shortfall/

Funding challenges for third British F-35B squadron
See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/funding ... -squadron/

Commando Force not funded to ‘operate in high-threat’ areas
See - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/command ... eat-areas/