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
In March 2014 the MoD admitted there was a minor concern about the integrity of the nuclear reactors which power Vanguard class submarines. As a precaution, HMS Vanguard currently in refit at Devonport has been given a second new reactor core. This week the government quietly announced that technical assessments have now concluded this procedure will not be| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
The MoD has awarded Babcock a £114M contract to prepare for the first nuclear defueling of a decommissioned Royal Navy Trafalgar Class submarine in over 20 years. The contract covers work to remove the fuel from four boats, most likely ex-HMS Trafalgar, Turbulent, Tireless and Torbay - the oldest T-boats in storage at Devonport. It| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
HMS Vanguard, one of the four Trident submarines that maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent, left Devonport yesterday after a very much delayed Long Overhaul Period and Refuel (LOP(R)). When Vanguard arrived in December 2015 for her second (LOP(R)) it was expected to take a maximum of 4 years and cost £200 million. Her three younger| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
HMS Victorious arrived in Devonport to begin a multi-year Deep Maintenance Period (DMP) in May 2023. Here we provide a some background and detail about the project. Second of the Vanguard class, HMS Victorious was launched in 1993 and has already exceeded her originally intended 25-year design life by 3 years. The DMP is intended| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Yesterday the Nuclear Information Service published their report "Trouble ahead risks and rising Costs in the UK nuclear weapons programme”. This is a brief response to some of the points and recommendations made in the report. Although the Nuclear Information Service has an anti-Trident agenda and cannot be seen as an entirely objective source, the| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Undersea data cables are critical to the internet upon which the modern world has come to depend. This hidden network forms the backbone of global communications but is surprisingly vulnerable to interference by hostile actors. Protecting this infrastructure may become an increasingly important remit for the Royal Navy. Background The first undersea cables were telegraph| Navy Lookout - Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
