By Mark Barton, RINA Historian For towns it is rare we know the exact day they came into being but that is the case for Devonport, the Royal Navy’s main home in the South West. By Royal Decree the town came into being on the 1st January 1824. This marked a step in the development […]
By Mark Barton, RINA historian In the maritime industry, we’re used to large elements of infrastructure being constructed to support dockyards, and regular disruptions to the global supply chain regularly highlight the importance of assuring that infrastructure remains resilient. 2023 marked the bicentenary of a project that was designed to do both of those but […]
Trials of the largest uncrewed aircraft ever launched from a UK Royal Navy aircraft carrier could pave the way for the next generation of UK naval air power. The specially modified aircraft – operated remotely by a ‘pilot’ at a computer terminal, codenamed ‘Mojave’ – took off and landed safely on HMS Prince of Wales […]
Much has been accomplished since the US, UK and Australia announced plans to develop a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines together, but much more remains to be done, as a November 2023 report published by the House of Commons Library explains. The report details many of the challenges facing the AUKUS nuclear submarine programme […]
Poole, UK, based equipment specialists Marine Components International (MCI) has secured a deal to supply seven BSB A60 fire dampers for a series of Windflex 27 Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) currently under construction at a Singapore Shipyard. The vessels will operate in the European offshore wind sector. MCI is the exclusive global distributor for BSB, […]
RINA member Allan Dickson was the proud recipient of the Merchant Navy Medal, the highest medal of honour in the UK maritime sector, at a ceremony at Trinity House at London’s historic Trinity House on 21 November. Allan received the award from Her Royal Highness Princess Anne in recognition of his services to Merchant Navy […]
September saw the return of the London International Shipping Week (LISW). Now in its tenth year of operation, LISW appears to be maturing into a key waypoint in the global maritime calendar, as was evidenced by this year’s breadth of events, calibre of speakers and record-breaking attendance. With more than 350 events taking place across […]
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a notice regarding a request for information (RfI) for operational and training ammunition for 57mm and 40mm guns on the forthcoming Type 31 frigate. The notice serves to alert the market of an early engagement opportunity to respond to a RfI relating to Type 57mm and 40mm […]
UK-based Babcock has celebrated a number of major milestones in the Miecznik frigate programme in Poland. Following a strategic co-operation agreement signed in 2022, the UK-based company finalised a design licence agreement with the PGZ-Miecznik consortium which allows them to build three frigates for the Polish Navy. The deal is the second export licence for […]
The company says the unmanned vessel ‘demonstrates compelling technical feasibility’ but also needs to be economically viable and be sustainable. UK-based engineering and ship design consultancy BMT has unveiled the design of a Large Uncrewed Surface Vessel (LUSV). The LUSV concept, was unveiled at the Defence and Security Equipment International 2023 (DSEI) exhibition and conference […]
It’s a familiar refrain, but the world’s oceans and its ecosystems remain largely unknown and unmapped by mankind. According to scientific estimates, 91% of ocean species have yet to be classified and at the current rate of progress it would take several millennia to achieve knowledge comparable with our current understanding of the Amazon rain […]
By Philippe Holthof, Correspondent True to its name, the Guangzhou Shipyard International-built P&O Pioneer introduces many firsts on the English Channel. Besides being the first double-ended ferry on the Dover-Calais route, P&O Ferries’ new flagship also pioneers the hybrid element. This, together with the double-ender design and a long list of energy-saving technologies, guarantees a […]