New Atlas

Military Audio available

HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier powered up for the first time

David Szondy November 28, 2018

With the press of a button, Britain's second supercarrier hit a major milestone as HMS Prince of Wales fired up her four Wärtsilä diesel generators for the first time under the supervision of 40 Royal Navy and civilian engineers and pumped out 11 megawatts each, or enough to supply a town of 25,000.

HMS Prince of Wales is set to go to sea in 2019

Aircraft Audio available

Royal Navy makes first ever F-35B rolling landing

David Szondy October 15, 2018

A Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II VSTOL fighter has conducted the first ever Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL), a maneuver that allows the F-35B to land while carrying a heavy load of fuel and weapons, without needing arrestor cables.

A Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II makes the world's first SRVL

Military

Royal Navy returns to the strike carrier business with first F-35B landing

David Szondy September 30, 2018

The Royal Navy re-entered the strike carrier business as the first two F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters touched down on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth on September 25 on the first of more than 500 take-offs and landings scheduled over the next 11 weeks.

Military

Babcock unveils contender for Britain's new Royal Navy frigate

David Szondy June 2, 2018

The competition to build the Royal Navy's next frigate moves forward as Babcock Team 31 shows off its proposed design for the Type 31e warship. Called the Arrowhead 140, the contender for the £1.25 billion (US$1.63 billion) program is based on a design in service with the Royal Danish Navy.

The Arrowhead 140 is Babcock's submission for the Royal Navy's Type 31e competition

Military

Royal Navy's new robotic minesweeper to keep sailors safe and sea lanes open

David Szondy May 7, 2018

The UK's Royal Navy has taken delivery of its first robotic minesweeper system. The demonstrator system is not only intended to hunt and clear traditional mines without placing sailors in harm's way, but can also deal with the more sophisticated modern digital mines.

An autonomous minesweeper system that can safely clear sea lanes of mines has been handed over ...

Military

British carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth commissioned

David Szondy December 7, 2017

The British supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth joined the Royal Navy today. On the hangar deck of the 65,000-tonne ship, Captain Jerry Kyd read the commissioning warrant confirming her as an active part of the fleet and the White Ensign and commissioning pennants were raised for the first time.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy

Military

Britain's second supercarrier christened

David Szondy September 8, 2017

Britain's second giant aircraft carrier took a major step today from collection of steel to active warship, as she was formally christened at the Rosyth shipyard. During a ceremony, the Duchess of Cornwall released a bottle of 10-year-old whisky to break against the hull of the 65,000 tonne vessel.

HMS Prince of Wales is the second ship of the Queen Elizabeth class

Military

Royal Navy banks on bargain, general purpose warships to fill gap

David Szondy September 7, 2017

The British Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, has unveiled the government's plan to increase the size of the Royal Navy by embarking on a crash program to build a new class of frigate, called the Type 31e, costing no more than £250 million (US$327 million) each.

The Type 31e is intended to augment the fleet's Type 26 frigates, shown here in an ...

Military

Royal Navy test fires supersonic interceptor missile

David Szondy September 4, 2017

The Royal Navy has showed off its latest missile in the first successful test of the Sea Ceptor air defence system. Britain's Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin announced that the live-fire test of the supersonic missile took place off the coast of Scotland from the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll.

Sea Ceptor is intended to intercept air targets at Mach 3

Military

Royal Navy looks to nature for futuristic sub concepts

David Szondy August 28, 2017

In 2015, the Royal Navy released its concept of the surface warship of 2050. Now the RN is casting its crystal ball further into the future by asking a team of young engineers from UKNEST to develop concepts for future British submarines.

The Nautilus 100 mothership would act as a major command and control hub, information collector and ...