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
The RN has issued a Request for Information to industry to support exercise Atlantic Thunder 26, which will test anti-ship weapons and uncrewed underwater systems. AT26 will take place in waters off the QinetiQ Hebrides range in North West Scotland between 11–22 May 2026. The event is described as a “multi-domain exercise designed to validate| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Babcock International has started the first upkeep period of a Type 23 frigate that has already undergone a major life-extension (LIFEX) refit.| Navy Lookout