Today, King Charles read the commissioning warrant for the 6th Astute-class SSN, HMS Agamemnon, at a ceremony in Barrow. On the same day, the first steel was also cut for the final Dreadnought-class SSBN, HMS King George VI. Six out of seven The king was joined by around 500 guests in the shipyard, including family| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Following the outline FADS requirement issued by the RN earlier this year, BAE Systems has begun development of its Air Warfare Command Ship solutions and other supporting elements. At DSEI 2025, the company shared their initial design ideas, including increased automation, modularity, and efforts to ensure affordability. The First Sea Lord has signalled a departure| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Thales UK and BAE Systems have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding that formalises a longstanding partnership to deliver and integrate sonar technology for RN submarines. The agreement will play a fundamental role in enabling the SSN-AUKUS programme and ensuring sovereign sonar development capability is maintained into the future. The deal designates Thales as the| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
BAE Systems unveiled the third iteration of the Herne extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) at DSEI 2025. This will be available for the Royal Navy or export customers to purchase as an operational platform from the end of 2026. Iterating fast This latest version, ‘Herne Mk 3’, represents continued progress from the prototype shown in| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
When the first Type 26 frigate becomes operational it will introduce another gun type to Royal Navy service. BAE Systems’ renowned Mk 45 127mm (5-inch) gun is already proven with navies worldwide and will be a considerable upgrade on the existing medium calibre gun. Here we look at this weapon in detail.| Navy Lookout
Since the formal announcement in March that Australia would partner with the RN to design and build a new class of SSNs, further details have emerged about how the AUKUS submarine programme will be structured.| Navy Lookout
