UK Royal Navy: News & Discussions
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HMS Queen Elizabeth takes Japan relations to ‘whole new level’
THE HMS Queen Elizabeth has made its first port call in Japan today, marking a historic turning point in the relations between the UK and the land of the rising sun.
The decks are nearly empty....
They purchased and built two carriers, but with nearly no birds on. They just rely on Uncle Sam.
HMS Queen Elizabeth Arrives In Japan
By Tim Kelly (Reuters) Britain showed off its HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to Japan’s defence chief on Monday at a naval base near Tokyo, marking the start of a...
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The future of Royal Navy attack submarines | Navy Lookout
www.navylookout.com
The future of Royal Navy attack submarines
On 6th February the Minister for Defence Procurement confirmed in Parliament that all 7 Astute class submarines would be completed by the end of 2026, despite the serious delay to the delivery of HMS Audacious. Here we look at the submarine programme in the medium-long term.Trenchant lives on
The problems with HMS Audacious have been well documented and she will join the fleet sometime in early 2021, at least 17 months later than planned. This has had two immediate consequences, firstly the delivery of boat 5, HMS Anson will be delayed and secondly, it has been confirmed that HMS Trenchant will remain in service for at least another year. Trenchant was launched in 1986 and this 34-year old must be close to the end of viable operation. With an eye to the problems with the Astute programme, Trenchant underwent a 3-year refit 2013-16 described as “largest and most complex ever undertaken at Devonport” which should see her through this extra time in service. Although far from ideal, this is a sensible decision which at least ensures SSN numbers do not go below the already ‘rock-bottom’ number of 6. There will undoubtedly be additional maintenance costs involved and her ships company will have to work hard to keep this veteran boat going. It looks likely that the two other Trafalgar class boats, HMS Talent and Triumph may also have to have their decommissioning delayed slightly to cover the late arrival of HMS Anson and Agamemnon.Scrutiny v Security
In yet another case of MoD attempting to obscure bad news, the Minister also added: “The planned In-Service Dates (ISD) for Royal Navy submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.” The Out of Service Dates (OSD) which were public information just a few years ago are already being withheld but this is a more serious development that will further reduce accountability in the submarine programme. Using newly-invented security concerns to make inconvenient truths less obvious is a shabby way to treat the taxpayer and we would urge MPs and the Defence Select Committee to scrutinise submarine delivery with extra care. Meanwhile the head of the Submarine Delivery Agency, Ian Booth was awarded a £185K annual performance bonus. (Greater than the annual salary of the First Sea Lord or even the Prime Minister). Mr Booth is undoubtedly a highly competent executive with a track record delivering the aircraft carrier project, but the results from the SDA are not yet worthy of congratulation for anyone. The real ‘performers’ are submariners at the sharp end who have to live with the effects of delays and the broken timelines, struggling to get their boats out on patrol.The commitment to deliver all four of the remaining Astute-class boats by 2026 is a small crumb of comfort in this much-delayed programme. The delays to Audacious must be absorbed in the schedule because there cannot be any further hold-ups at Barrow in the production of following Dreadnought class SSBNs. In BAE Systems’ recent report to its shareholders, despite having 4 Astute-class boats still under construction, it announced that work on the Dreadnought class already forms a greater part of their revenue. Manufacture of the second boat, HMS Valiant, began in September 2019 and it is interesting to note they are designed with a service life of around 35-40 years, an increase of around 25% over their Vanguard-class predecessors.
Astute successor – SSN(R)
Maritime Underwater Future Capability (MUFC) is the RN’s program to consider replacements for the Astute class. The project began the initial Concept Phase in early 2018 but was suspended in May 2018 for two years. This was probably not driven by financial considerations but the delays to the Astute and Dreadnought programme that means Barrow will not be ready to construct a new class of submarine until the late 2030s. MUFC work appears to be about to resume and the successor to the Astute class is now provisionally referred to as SSN(R). DE&S recently began recruiting project managers to work for the ‘Astute Replacement Nuclear Submarine SSN(R) team’. How undersea warfare will look in the 2040s and beyond is hard to predict. Despite the rapid growth of unmanned systems and potential improvements in detection technology, the promise of an entirely ‘transparent ocean’ may never be fulfilled. The manned submarine has a big future, although it is likely to rely increasingly on a payload of its own unmanned systems to extend its reach.SSN(R) is only at a very early concept stage and nothing official is in the public domain. Respected analyst, H I Sutton, believes it will be around 25% bigger than the Astute and have much in common with the Dreadnought class. Its extra size will allow for the fitting of the PWR-3 reactor, heavier armament and defensive countermeasures. An enlarged ‘hangar’, similar to the Astute’s Chalfont DDS, may also be fitted for unmanned systems. It is also likely to have the X-form tail of Dreadnought, which is more complex to build but is quieter than the Astute’s conventional tail. From an industrial perspective, if work to build SSN(R) can begin straight away on the ‘hot’ Dreadnought production line then it should be much more painless than the Astute project.
A boat 25% larger than Astute would require further upgrades to the dry-docks in Devonport. At present these facilities are still only certified for Trafalgar class boats and not yet able to take an Astute. For now, all dry-docking has to be done at the ship-lift facility in Faslane. This is manageable while there are only 3 active Astutes that can be fitted around the docking requirements of the 3 active Vanguard boats. Once there are 7 Astute boats in service, the dry dock in Devonport will become critical for their support. As SSN(R) is unlikely to enter service before the early 2040s it is possible that HMS Astute and will require refuelling and life extension in the mid-2030s as her PWR-2 Core H reactor has a theoretical 25-year lifespan. Babcock is currently having problems refuelling HMS Vanguard, possibly because her Core H reactor was not originally intended to be refuelled.
Tell us more
This article demonstrates that at least a limited insight into the highly complex submarine programme may be gathered from information in the public domain. What is more concerning is the almost total blackout of official information about the activities of the modern submarine service. The nuclear deterrent and undersea warfare is obviously one of the most sensitive and secretive aspects of UK defence and publicity must be carefully controlled and censored. But with imagination, time-delay and careful management, it is quite possible to promote the outstanding work of the Silent Service to public and politicians. There was actually more publicity about submarines during the intense operations of the Cold War than there is today, in the last decade there has been an ever-decreasing explanation of the fine work of the service and the product that they can deliver. This is not an oversight by the RN news teams but the result of a deliberate policy directive from a senior level.The last official story about the submarine service that could be described in any way as ‘operational’ was HMS Trenchant surfacing at the North Pole nearly two years ago. Otherwise, news coverage gives the impression that submariners spend all their time participating in charity bike rides or rowing events. Arguably this silence leads to a lack of understanding about the purpose and benefits of submarines and the void may be filled by those with an agenda to depict them as sinister and unjustifiably expensive. The bad news about the problems in the submarine industrial enterprise could also be counterbalanced by highlighting the benefits of operational SSNs to the nation. While OPSEC must always be the priority, if the RN wants to recruit more people and receive more resources for the undersea domain, then it must start talking about its submarines and the threats they can defeat.
UK nuclear-powered submarine visit to Perth (AUS) | Defence Ministers
Joint Media Release:
Britain tracked Chinese submarines and was ready to intercept jets in South China Sea, officers reveal
Britain tracked Chinese submarines from its flagship aircraft carrier and was ready to intercept Chinese jets in the South China Sea if required, officers have revealed.Frigates and helicopters operating with HMS Queen Elizabeth were able to locate the underwater vessels, helping the UK's biggest warship to steer clear.
Chinese warplanes were also in the air, but they kept a "professional" distance, while sending a signal of sorts by turning away just within missile-firing range - about 150 miles out.
Image: Sky News was given rare access to the Queen Elizabeth on its maiden deployment
Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commanding officer of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said: "In that sort of cat and mouse type game, I am absolutely clear they are turning away at ranges where they are probably using us to facilitate their own training in the same way that we would do it towards them. So, it wasn't causing us a concern.
"They were not engaging or locking us up or anything like that whatsoever. But the ranges at which they were flying at were indicative of what they would do for real."
The new details about Britain's maritime encounter with China, which happened between August and October, emerged as the defence secretary said it is "highly likely" the carrier will at some point be used to launch airstrikes against terrorist targets, including possibly in Afghanistan.
This would be "to take out people who pose an imminent threat to the United Kingdom or our allies", Ben Wallace said during a visit to the ship, which is on a stopover in Oman.
"Whether that's next week, next month, next decade - this carrier is in it for the long run."
Sky News was this week given rare access to the Queen Elizabeth on its maiden deployment, dubbed Operation Fortis, from the UK to the Far East and back.
Image: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visited the ship, which is on a stopover in Oman
Escorted by a flotilla of Royal Navy, Dutch and American warships - and partnering up with some 40 other militaries on the way - the carrier has travelled more than 40,000 nautical miles and counting since May.
Now headed home, Cdre Moorhouse said the tour has had an impact.
"If you are a nation that may want to cause mischief, harm or disrupt - I think you've definitely sat up and watched what the Queen Elizabeth is all about," he said.
Image: At times, pilots were strapped into their jets with weapons loaded over a period of Russian activity that lasted nearly three weeks
Perhaps the toughest test for its crew of some 1,600 sailors, marines and airmen was when Russian jets closed in as the carrier travelled through the Eastern Mediterranean in June.
UK and American F-35 warplanes, lined up on board, were scrambled to stop them from flying overhead - the first time in living memory that British pilots have launched at sea to intercept and escort Russian aircraft.
"It was great," said Commander Mark Sparrow, officer commanding 617 Squadron, which operates the F-35 - the UK's next generation stealth warplane.
"It's exhilarating enough taking off the carrier in normal times, but when you're doing it [in a] rush it adds that edge to it and then to go and meet an SU-35 or an SU-34 [Russian fighter jet] visually is always exciting."
Image: The HMS Queen Elizabeth flew F-35 jets 24-hours-a-day, while the accompanying frigates and destroyers conducted other tasks
At times, pilots were strapped into their jets, weapons loaded, engines running, to be able to take off as soon as required over a period of Russian activity that lasted nearly three weeks.
Asked what message he thought the carrier strike group had sent to Moscow, Cdre Moorhouse said: "We simply are not going to be bullied around. It is a huge piece of water space and nations should be able to operate there freely."
Officers in the operations room said they were prepared for a similar challenge, this time from China, as the carrier moved into the South China Sea - the most anticipated leg of the journey.
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Image: HMS Queen Elizabeth boasts both UK and American F-35 warplanes
"We were expecting very much the same response from the Chinese," said Lieutenant Commander Richard "Tom" Hanks, senior warfare officer.
But this proved to be unnecessary.
"We saw [Chinese] aircraft come out at range and holding off at range - so the requirement to have the [flight] deck at the right alert cycle was met, but the requirement to launch them [F-35 jets to intercept] was never really needed," Lt Cdr Hanks said.
[IMG alt="HMS Queen Elizabeth in the South China Sea
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Image: Escorted by a flotilla of Royal Navy, Dutch and American warships, the carrier has travelled more than 40,000 nautical miles and counting since May
Asked how he felt about the lack of high-speed scrambles, he said: "We were all a bit let down actually, we were a bit frustrated. We were so hyped up from the Eastern Med operation and so pleased with the performance of everybody that we wanted to replicate that in another area of the world, literally the other side of the world."
Cdre Moorhouse described the Chinese air manoeuvres as "safe and professional and appropriate ranges".
The wider UK strike group of warships and helicopters did have a chance to hone their submarine-hunting skills though.
"On a couple of occasions we were confident we knew where their submarines were," Cdre Moorhouse said. "So we literally almost hold the submarine where it is using our frigates and helicopters and then we can move the carrier around it, literally side-stepping it, so we can continue on our way safely."
Image: Officers in the operations room said they were prepared for challenges from Russia and China
Speaking about the experience of operating in the South China Sea, the commanding officer said he had directed his team to show Beijing "how good we really are".
This included flying F-35 jets 24 hours a day, while the accompanying frigates and destroyers conducted other tasks. "I believe we would have left a lasting impression about where UK carrier strike has come in a very short time," he said.
Britain tracked Chinese submarines and was ready to intercept jets in South China Sea, officers reveal
Frigates and helicopters operating with HMS Queen Elizabeth were able to locate Chinese submarines, allowing the UK's largest warship to steer clear.