Royal Navy News

Delkia has led the Encompass group of nine companies, many small-medium sized enterprises, in a major contract win from the Ministry of Defence to supply technical and post-design services to marine systems support globally for the Royal Navy Surface Fleet. Framework arrangement The support contract is a framework arrangement and activities likely to be delivered as part of this include design revisions, reverse engineering, interoperability studies equipment trials, etc. In addition, the grou...

In September 2023, NSSLGlobal, a global independent satcom and IT solutions provider, was awarded a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) to provide comprehensive support for Maritime Multi-Media (MMM) services across the Royal Navy fleet. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the welfare services available to Royal Navy personnel by providing a wide range of entertainment on board vessels. Such welfare services are increasingly important in recruiting and retaining sailors. De...

The Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) Programme has been established to deliver the future of in-service support to Royal Navy warships and submarines, along with maintenance and operation of the three Naval Bases. NSIGN will be a framework of contracts that will support all legacy, new-to-service and future platform types including modular solutions.  NSIGN is now in the concept phase and within this, the Ships Engineering Project has stood up ready to continue with market e...

OceanWise was awarded the contract to work on a unique project involving the historic and impressive HMS Warrior vessel. This iconic piece of British history is moored in Portsmouth as part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. HMS Warrior is an "ironclad, 40-gun, steam-powered frigate, built for the British Navy in 1859-1861″. OceanWise is proudly working with a number of project partners including Waves Group Limited, Nortek, Gill instruments and RS Divers to install a variety of en...

High Eye is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the journey of innovation and growth: the selection of the Airboxer VTOL UAV by the Dutch Navy. After an extensive study of maritime VTOL UAV systems, the Dutch Navy recognised the Airboxer's suitability for the challenging maritime domain. With over a decade of development, the Airboxer has evolved to its current level through dedication and craftsmanship. They are immensely proud that the Dutch Navy acknowledges the qualities of the...

Sensor solutions provider - HENSOLDT UK has been selected by Navantia UK to provide key systems to the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA) three new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships. The new vessels will incorporate Quadome Naval 3D Air and Surface Surveillance Radar, Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, and Kelvin Hughes Integrated Navigation Bridge Systems (INBS). The FSS ships will play a crucial role in supporting the replenishment operations of the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class air...

Babcock has been awarded the contract to manage the Type 23 class frigate Refit Support Group, allowing the company to take end-to-end responsibility for vessel upkeep and regeneration in preparation for handover to the ship’s crew. This innovative change follows more than five years of close working between the Royal Navy-led Refit Support Group and Babcock. It frees up UK Royal Navy personnel for front-line operations and creates new and exciting roles for 40 Babcock engineering...

Mersey Maritime, in collaboration with WISTA UK, successfully marked the first regional event for WISTA UK in 2024 with the conclusion of their ‘Diversity in Maritime’ networking evening held on 15th February 2024, at HMS Eaglet in Liverpool. Event features and contributions The gathering brought together industry leaders and professionals for a networking and knowledge-sharing session. As part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, WISTA UK will continue to host various regional...

Regional cluster organisation, Mersey Maritime, are delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Waterhouse as their new Chairman. The Group Corporate Affairs Director for APCL, and former Royal Navy Regional Commander for Northern England, has stepped up from Board Member to Chairman following the departure of former Chair, John Hulmes. Service and logistics expertise With an illustrious career background, Phil brings unparalleled experience and leadership to the helm With an illustrious...

Firms developing three Fleet Solid Support ships for Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been urged to say how many British jobs will be created – and how much work carried out in the UK The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions has demanded to see plans outlining how UK workers and firms will benefit from the deal. The CSEU’s maritime chairman Matthew Roberts, a GMB union national officer, has written to Harland & Wolff, ship designers BMT and Madrid-based Navantia, S.A.,...

Babcock has been awarded a new five-year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to continue providing in-service support for the Royal Navy’s Ships Protective Systems (SPS) equipment. The contract consists of degaussing, cathodic protection, and active shaft grounding to ships and submarines, restricting the rate of hull corrosion and reducing their magnetic signature to make them less susceptible to magnetic mines. Babcock attains in-service support contract Babcock’s conti...

NSSLGlobal is proud to announce its ongoing partnership and Gold sponsorship of the HMS Oardacious rowing team as they once again take on the formidable World’s Toughest Row Atlantic Challenge in 2023. Connectivity services NSSLGlobal will provide crucial connectivity services, airtime, equipment, and essential 24/7 support to ensure the team's successful journey as they row an impressive 3,000 miles across the North Atlantic. This partnership continues to exemplify NSSLGlobal's commitm...

Technological innovation driven by a skilled workforce that is ‘fit for the future’ is critical to the future growth of the UK’s £116 billion maritime sector. That was the overall message delivered by speakers at the fifth annual Mersey Maritime Exchange conference in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Organised by Mersey Maritime, the event brought together industry and Government leaders in the industry. Mersey Maritime Exchange 2023 The Exchange used the Government’s...

Both the UK military and the £116bn maritime industry face the same tough challenges when it comes to recruiting the right people with the right skills for the next few decades. That was the clear message that came from the afternoon session of the fifth Maritime Exchange conference held in Liverpool. Organised by Mersey Maritime, the event brought together UK maritime leaders at the Tung Auditorium at the University of Liverpool. Decarbonisation and digitisation Two-panel sessions in t...

The UK’s future Type 26 frigates are being manufactured by BAE Systems’ site in Govan, Scotland, but also incorporate blocks built from across the country. The Type 26 programme will deliver a total of eight anti-submarine warfare frigates to the Royal Navy, which will replace, in part, the ageing Type 23 fleet. UK’s Type 26 frigates The Type 26 will be comparable in size to the Type 45 air defence destroyers currently in service Expected to displace around 7,000 tonnes at...

On Monday, 13 March, 2023, as part of the AUKUS trilateral agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA), it was announced that Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd will provide the reactors for Australia’s first nuclear powered submarines. The announcement will see thousands of jobs created for Rolls-Royce and across the United Kingdom (UK) supply chain. Rolls-Royce Submarines Rolls-Royce Submarines, based in Derby, UK currently employs more than 4,0...

Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders Limited (Cammell Laird) is reporting an annual loss for the fifth year in a row, but is now showing signs of emerging from ‘some of the most challenging times in the group’s history’. That was how Chief Executive - David McGinley described 2020 and 2021 after the Birkenhead shipyard took a significant financial hit from the building of the £200 million polar research vessel - RRS Sir David Attenborough. Cammell Laird’...

In Mersey Maritime’s 20th anniversary year, the North West and national maritime industry came together on Thursday, 10th November 2022 to celebrate the sector at the 8th Annual Mersey Maritime Industry Awards. The event, which was held at Liverpool Cathedral, was the biggest and most high-profile yet, with some 600 guests present drawn from across the UK and beyond. Preparations for the awards saw over 100 individual applications on behalf of more than 50 different businesses and organ...

Rolls-Royce will provide long-term service support for all mtu generator sets powering Great Britain’s Royal Navy fleet. Rolls-Royce business unit - Power Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment & Support organisation, signed a contract covering the preventive and corrective maintenance of more than 90 mtu engines for the next five years. The contract, which is the first-of-its-kind for Power Systems, includes an option to extend for a further two years. Rolls-Royce...

A joint venture between Kier Group and Royal BAM Group NV will now refurbish Devonport’s 10 Dock, the first part of a £2bn overhaul of facilities at the UK’s largest dockyard. Babcock International Group Plc, which operates the yard, appointed Kier BAM Joint Venture (KBJV) after previously announcing a series of major infrastructure projects at Devonport. Major infrastructure projects During the next 10 years, new facilities will be developed at the site to meet the evolving...

Mersey Maritime is delighted to announce the appointment of Commodore Phil Waterhouse to its management board with immediate effect. Commodore Waterhouse is the Naval Regional Commander for Northern England and the Isle of Man. As such, he is the First Sea Lord’s Ambassador for the region, with the task of ensuring that the work of the Royal Navy is understood, respected and valued by the community it serves. He has been in this role since 2017. New appointment in Mersey Maritime Board...

BAE Systems has announced celebrations to mark 15 years of supporting Operations Aintree and Kipion, the British Royal Navy’s mine countermeasure (MCM) strategy, in the Gulf region. The globally renowned defence contractor - BAE Systems, has supported the Royal Navy’s Hunt Class vessels in the Gulf region for the past 15 years – and also delivers maintenance and upkeep to the rest of the Hunt Class flotilla, based out of Portsmouth Naval Base, in the United Kingdom (UK). UK M...

Babcock, the international defence, aerospace and security company has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide dry-dock maintenance for the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers. The new £30m contract follows a previous maintenance period where Babcock completed the first docking for HMS Queen Elizabeth at the Rosyth site in 2019 and includes all routine maintenance and repairs that cannot be done when the vessel is afloat. In addition to the scheduled dockin...

Merseyside shipyard and marine engineering services company - Cammell Laird has announced that John Syvret is retiring from his role as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Cammell Laird and Atlantic and Peninsula Marine Services. John, whose retirement follows 43 years of service to the maritime sector, will continue to support Cammell Laird and Atlantic & Peninsula Marine Services in his capacity as a non-executive Director. John will also maintain his involvement with his ch...