Independent Royal Navy news and analysis
Royal Navy deploys advanced ROV for Gulf minehunting operations
RN Diving Threat and Exploitation Group (DTXG) personnel have completed intensive training on the VideoRay Defender-Viper, a remotely operated vehicle already used in combat by Ukrainian forces. The system is now loaded aboard RFA Lyme Bay, which sailed from Gibraltar last week for a potential multinational mine countermeasures mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
HMS Prince of Wales remains in Norway for repairs
Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is alongside in Stavanger, Norway, for several days while engineers rectify a technical defect that is expected to result in the cancellation of her planned visit to Copenhagen.
Maritime aviation transformation – the Royal Navy’s plan for a hybrid air wing
Speaking at the Combined Naval Event 2026, Commodore Steve Bolton, Deputy Director Aviation Programmes and Futures, outlined the latest progress on the RN’s Maritime Aviation Transformation (MaTX). The journey is well underway, but the hardest challenges are ahead on the way to developing an integrated hybrid air wing.
Thales to supply towed array sonar for Royal Canadian Navy’s River-class destroyers
Thales has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Canada to supply the S2087 low-frequency towed array sonar system for the Royal Canadian Navy’s River-class destroyers, providing commonality with the Royal Navy and the other Type 26 frigate derivative operators.
Royal Navy uncrewed minehunter docks in mothership for first time ahead of Strait of Hormuz mission
Minehunting USV, RNMB Ariadne has successfully docked inside its mothership for the first time, a key milestone in preparations for a potential multinational operation in the Strait of Hormuz. The uncrewed vessel was guided into the floodable dock of RFA Lyme Bay in the waters off Gibraltar, integrating the two vessels ahead of potential operations.
RFA Lyme Bay sails from Gibraltar for mine clearance operations in the Middle East
RFA Lyme Bay has sailed from Gibraltar today following several weeks of preparation that saw the auxiliary loaded with a suite of autonomous mine-hunting systems. The ship is expected to head east to help lead a multinational effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, possibly operating initially from Duqm in Oman.
Rebuilding Faslane to secure the future of Royal Navy nuclear submarine operations
HM Naval Base Clyde is now the sole operating base for the Royal Navy’s entire submarine flotilla. A newly framed Clyde Transformation Programme is an ambitious upgrade project that must rebuild many aspects of the facility while at the same time sustaining ongoing submarine operations.
HMS Medway arrives at Tristan da Cunha with medics and supplies
Royal Navy OPV, HMS Medway has arrived off the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, carrying six civilian medics and critical supplies to support a British national suspected of contracting Hantavirus.
Stand-off weapon demonstration shows F-35B integration still alive despite years of delays
A first test flight for an F-35B carrying 4 SPEAR-3 stand-off weapons has offered some reassurance that integration remains on track, despite a service entry date still years away. The captive carry sortie at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland is the first tangible demonstration of progress on a programme that has attracted growing concern over delays to the F-35B’s wider upgrade path.
