The Queen has become the first woman and only the second member of the Royal Family to be appointed Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom, during a visit to HMS Astute at Devonport Naval Base. Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is the Sponsor of HMS Astute, having been present at her roll-out in 2007 and commissioning| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
On 12 September, HMS Richmond sailed through international waters that separate China and Taiwan in company with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins. China responded by dispatching air and naval assets to monitor the passage and predictably accused the two nations of "trouble-making and provocation". The Taiwan Strait is just 80 miles wide at its| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
HMS Anson arrived back on the Clyde this morning. This confirms no RN submarine has been deployed in support of the Carrier Strike Group deployment for the Indo-Pacific leg, and there are no RN SSNs at sea for now. The current 5-boat attack submarine force comprises HMS Astute, just about to begin a mid-life refit| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
In this guest article, Tom Rooney considers the impact of uncrewed systems and artificial intelligence on the undersea battle. In the quiet expanse of the North Atlantic, an old strategic contest is being redrawn. Once the domain of Cold War cat-and-mouse games, the world of submarines has re-emerged as a fulcrum of 21st-century power politics.| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
