British Military Current Events

[Kirkhill]

So both carriers have got their screws turning.

Prince of Wales leaving Portsmouth for the North Atlantic / High North
Queen Elizabeth leaving Rosyth for Portsmouth

The United Kingdom is deploying two aircraft carriers at the same time

For the first time since late 2024, the Royal Navy is deploying two of its aircraft carriers simultaneously to carry out parallel strategic missions.

ua.news

HMS Prince of Wales leaves Hampshire naval base to 'protect UK waters'

The warship sailed from Portsmouth on Friday, carrying helicopters and drones.

www.bbc.com

HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Rosyth after docking period - Navy Lookout

HMS Queen Elizabeth has completed her docking period in Rosyth and left the basin today, prior to heading out for sea trials. The time spent in Rosyth was part of a planned upkeep period for the ship, which was launched in 2014 and has been in service since 2017. The work began in November 2024

www.navylookout.com

 

[daftandbarmy]

Bizarre, and deeply disturbing …

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[daftandbarmy]

Them: What are ‘plane spotters’ in the UK like?

Me:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[OldSolduer]

Them: What are ‘plane spotters’ in the UK like?

Me:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

They also made an appearance in Star Wars

 

[Halifax Tar]

I highly doubt were any better

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Kirkhill]

And thre greatest DNA spreader of all...

View attachment 99992

Imagine what his army did...

See you and raise you.

The Beaker lads did for 90% of the British farmers.

Ancient Britons 'replaced' by newcomers

Britain's Stone Age population was almost completely replaced some 4,500 years ago, a study shows.

www.bbc.com

 

[Halifax Tar]

A depressing read...

Another warship quietly withdrawn – Royal Navy now down to just 5 frigates - Navy Lookout

HMS Iron Duke has been stripped of her weapons and sensors and has not been to sea since October 2025, despite no formal decommissioning announcement being made. Her withdrawal from active service, less than three years after a £103M refit, raises uncomfortable questions about the Royal Navy's...

www.navylookout.com

@Navy_Pete I suggest you don't read this one...

 

[FJAG]

A depressing read...

Another warship quietly withdrawn – Royal Navy now down to just 5 frigates - Navy Lookout

HMS Iron Duke has been stripped of her weapons and sensors and has not been to sea since October 2025, despite no formal decommissioning announcement being made. Her withdrawal from active service, less than three years after a £103M refit, raises uncomfortable questions about the Royal Navy's...

www.navylookout.com

@Navy_Pete I suggest you don't read this one...

Wow. She was launched in 1991 and commissioned in 1993. That puts her on a par with the latter part of our Halifax fleet.

I guess if you throw your money at two aircraft carriers something else has to give.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Wow. She was launched in 1991 and commissioned in 1993. That puts her on a par with the latter part of our Halifax fleet.

I guess if you throw your money at two aircraft carriers something else has to give.

Understanding we are in the same boat roughly, I found this was a shocking metric:

The collective failure to order a single new frigate between 1996 and 2017 is having disastrous consequences.

 

[daftandbarmy]

A depressing read...

Another warship quietly withdrawn – Royal Navy now down to just 5 frigates - Navy Lookout

HMS Iron Duke has been stripped of her weapons and sensors and has not been to sea since October 2025, despite no formal decommissioning announcement being made. Her withdrawal from active service, less than three years after a £103M refit, raises uncomfortable questions about the Royal Navy's...

www.navylookout.com

@Navy_Pete I suggest you don't read this one...

Meanwhile the First (Bootneck) Sea Lord continues to write cheques his Navy probably can't cash

Advances Towards a Hybrid Royal Navy – First Sea Lord Speaks at RUSI​

General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, gives inaugural Lord Fisher Lecture at RUSI.


Technological development and rapid innovation are critical to the future capabilities of the Royal Navy and enhancing deterrence against Russia in the North Atlantic is a UK defence priority. These were the principal points in a speech delivered at RUSI today by the First Sea Lord, Chief of the Naval Staff in the UK.

General Jenkins said Russian incursions into UK waters had risen by a third in two years and that 'Russia remains the gravest threat to our security'. He announced the recent signing of a declaration of intent with allies from Nordic, Baltic and other Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) countries to bring together a 'multinational maritime force' to help enhance deterrence in the region.

He said: 'We know that we have no time to lose, which is why by the end of this year, I want us all to have signed a formal declaration laying the foundations for what will be a vital and enduring partnership.'

General Jenkins also said that new uncrewed maritime systems were developing rapidly towards deployment and would be integral to the Atlantic Bastion programme which is designed to protect the UK’s northern approaches.

'The first of our uncrewed systems, which will patrol the North Atlantic to detect and monitor hostile activity, will be in the water for Atlantic Bastion this year. My aim is to have our first uncrewed escort ships sailing alongside our Royal Navy warships within two years. And to have jet-powered drones operating from a carrier next year.'

'We see our hybrid Navy as part of something greater. A new partnership of Northern Navies, a multinational maritime force to defend north-western Europe and the High North with the UK at the helm.'

Advances Towards a Hybrid Royal Navy – First Sea Lord Speaks at RUSI

General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, gives inaugural Lord Fisher Lecture at RUSI.

www.rusi.org

 

[FJAG]

It all made sense until this:

. . . with the UK at the helm

That rankled me. It's like "we have a problem in UK waters and we've f***ed up our own navy so we want everyone from around here to come under our command to fix things."

There are already NATO Standing Maritime Groups that Canada participates with from time-to-time, and a Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) which is the UK's contribution to JEF.

I know, I know. If not the UK then who better to lead - especially when you consider the size of other JEF and other northern NATO countries' maritime forces. But there are others and an automatic assumption of UK leadership and headquartering is off-putting.

It strike me that the former STANAVFORLANT (now NATO SMNG 1) should be beefed up for that role. Interestingly the group is currently headed by a UK commander but has no UK ships in it. Or a new and specifically oriented NATO SMNG be created. Just to be contrarian, I see Norway as a better location for the headquarters.

$0.02

 

[Eaglelord17]

Understanding we are in the same boat roughly, I found this was a shocking metric:

Two ships a year should be the goal. This build one big batch every couple decades is a terrible practice for sustainability. Results in poorly maintained fleets all at similar states of disrepair and large expenses to get ship building restarted again.